Marine insurance premiums continue to be under downward pressure and a spate of merger and acquisition activity suggests not everyone has a secure future. But for now underwriters are not trading in their BMWs for Dacias.

The state of the market has not fundamentally changed from 12 months ago apart from being in some key respects more challenging.

Rating across all sectors of the market remains softer than ever, threatening the business of insurers and brokers alike, while new entrants to the market mean competition is more likely to intensify than wane.

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