Every port that a ship visits has a distinct set of arrangements to be made. It would be physically impossible for the shipowner to personally approve all of the relevant documents for the voyage in the absence of these procedures. It should not be a surprise that the job of shipping agents plays a crucial part in maritime transportation given that they are responsible for making all necessary arrangements for the shipowner.
It is the duty of the shipping agent to represent the interests of the ship’s owner and/or charterer, who is known as the Principal when a vessel calls into any port in the world.
The shipping agent, who acts as the owner’s trusted representative in a foreign port of call, protects the owner’s rights and interests in the owner’s name and at the owner’s expense. The owner is responsible for covering the cost of this service. This article looks at the role of the shipping agent, the numerous duties and responsibilities that come with it, as well as the different kinds of ship agents.
What do they do?
If a person or business performs the duties of an agent, whether as their major line of business or as a subsidiary enterprise to something else, such as ship ownership or operation, cargo handling, or anything else of a like type, they are said to be working as a shipping agent. Therefore, in a sense, the shipping agent, or simply the agent, is the owner’s dependable agent in the harbour and is legally qualified to act on the owner’s behalf with regard to the owner’s obligations and rights to third parties.
The agent serves as the Principal’s local representative, supplying the principal with local expertise and information while also ensuring that the principal’s needs are satisfied as quickly and efficiently as feasible. In other words, the agent serves as the principal’s local representative.
The agent must be knowledgeable of all relevant laws and guidelines governing the port, region, or industry in which they operate, have a wide network of contacts who are relevant, and be sufficiently well-established and organised in order to be able to offer the principal the level of service and support that the principal requires.
The Various Ship Agent Types and Their Responsibilities
If they want their companies to be successful, shipowners must engage in a variety of activities in different parts of the globe. All of these pursuits are associated with the shipping sector. There are many different types of representatives needed to accomplish this. As a result, depending on what the Principals may need, there are a few different categories of shipping agents, including “port agents,” “cargo agents,” and “others”.
A port agent
The port agent oversees planning, running, and coordinating all aspects of the port call and is essential to all trades. The port agent also has a crucial function in all trades. This covers everything, from scheduling berth allocations and services before the vessel arrives to finishing the accounting and other paperwork after the vessel departs.
The agent acts as the defacto single window for the port and acts as a conduit for all information sent between the ship and the shore. All paperwork that needs to be filled out is included in this material.
Cargo agent
A cargo agency’s primary areas of focus in their business are the liner and break-bulk trades. A cargo agent’s major duty is to canvass for cargo on behalf of the line or ship operator, therefore it is important for the agent to stay in constant contact with local shippers and be ready to give them information on vessel schedules, affordable rates, and conditions of carriage.
The successful operation of a ship, while it is docked in a port, depends entirely on the ship’s agent. There is no doubt that technological developments have helped to improve and streamline their responsibilities, making it possible for the tasks they perform to be completed more swiftly and with more flexibility. However, technology will never be able to take the place of their operational presence and the legal responsibility they stand for, and they will still play a crucial role in the entry of ships into ports. This action will still be a significant component of the procedure.
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