1. AGENTS IN MARITIME TRANSPORT
Marina Zanne

2. Introduction
a maritime agent is employed to represent the interests of either the ship’s owner, the ship’s operator, or the cargo’s owner (consignee) while the ship is in port
captain can‘t perform all bureaucratic operations alone  the need for a specialized person, who is well familiar to local habitudes, local, regional and national markets needs and outputs and thus of cargo flows arising  this person has to be able to fit into this the shipping company‘s interest  faster and easier communication
Development:
counseling role  shipping company‘s representative
Cargo – usually freight forwarder represents cargo

3. Types of agents in maritime transport
port agent
liner agent
broker – mediator, negotiator
shipping insurance agent
general agent
specialized agent

4. Port agent
usually in ports in which shipping company doesn‘t have its own office
shipping company‘s representative working in shipping company‘s name and for its account
agent does all the communication with port‘s entities (private and public) in order to make ship‘s stay in port as short and as efficient as possible
agent organizes cargo acceptance and delivery, fills in the documents, organizes cargo handling operations etc.

5. Port agent
agreement allows the agent to make contracts between shipping company and any third party
agent comes aboard together with national authorities
Customs – crew/passenger list, cargo manifest (arrival customs manifest is prepared by the agent), stores manifest etc.,
Police – passports control, shore pass issuer,
Maritime Administration office – draft survey, ship‘s certificates, clearance from previous port, crew list etc.
agent forwards arrival report to the shipping company and to cargo sender‘s freight forwarder

6. Port agent His main obligations are: to prepare ship‘s documentation
to prepare cargo documentation
to inform port authorities on ship‘s ETA
to order port‘s working facilities and man force (based on cargo manifest and cargo stowage plans)
to inform cargo sender or recipients on ships arrival
to make sure that the freight rate and other costs are covered
to forward preliminary cargo plan and loading list to the captain

7. Port agent
Source: The role of the ship agent from

8. Port agent
after cargo handling operations are completed, the agent prepares the Port log in which it is clearly visible what operations have been performed
Departure custom manifest is prepared upon cargo manifests
Harbour clearance is given to the agent when ship‘s seaworthiness is proven  agents orders the pilots and tug boats, and informs all the authorites on ship‘s departure
ship‘s seaworthiness is proven when cargo is secured and the ship is ready for navigation

9. Liner agent
port agent can be also a liner agent serving liner ships in their ordinary ports  in such case he has more responsibilities
market research
his operationals tasks remain the same as of port agent
market research (port‘s capacities, hinterland activity, inland connections, cargo flows etc. to make sure that touching the particular port is reasonable, plus he has to analyse the competion)
his operationals tasks remain the same as of port agent, that is: serving the needs of the ship on arrival/departure, being in contact with cargo senders/recepients, filling in the documentation, cargo acceptance/delivery etc.

10. Broker His main role is to connect two parties.
mediator in contracts on exploitation of ships
mediator in sale ship‘s process (deed of sale)
mediator in ship‘s construction/maintenance agreements
FONASBA - The federation of national association of shipbrokers an agents

11. Shipping insurance agent
is an employee of insurance company insuring ships, cargo and personnel

12. Sources & further reading
The role of the ship agent from