Maritime agency
Maritime agent is a person that performs legal and other types of actions as per instruction and at expense of the shipowner in his own name or in the name of the shipowner, for reward and in certain marine port or territory. Functions of maritime agent normally include performance of various formalities in relation to vessel’s stay in port, arrangement of vessel’s supply, collection of freight and other payments, and attraction of cargoes, handling of cargo documents.
Activities of maritime agent are one of important parts of merchant shipping for the period of vessel and cargo stay in port. At the same time such activity is connected to high financial risks due to payment of expenses on behalf of the shipowner. Agency process in relation to the vessel has to be followed by presentation of legal guarantees for payment of agent’s reward, compensation of expenses and to correspond to purposes of effective service to fleet.
