Port Operations and Agency
Ship Agent
A local representative coordinating a vessel’s port call and acting on behalf of the owner, operator or charterer. During a port call, the concept may affect coordination, timing, cost, documentation or responsibility between the vessel and local parties.
What an agent is
A ship agent acts for a principal. Acts within the appointment bind that principal.
The appointment is per port and per call, unless a standing arrangement exists.
Who appoints the agent decides whose interests they serve, which is why an owner may appoint one alongside the charterer’s.
Ship Agent is a term used in maritime business and operations.
A local representative coordinating a vessel’s port call and acting on behalf of the owner, operator or charterer.
During a port call, the concept may affect coordination, timing, cost, documentation or responsibility between the vessel and local parties. The exact meaning may vary with the contract, jurisdiction, port practice or workflow in which it is used.
Owner’s agent compared with charterer’s agent
Owner’s agent
Appointed by the owner or operator.
Charterer’s agent
Nominated by the charterer, where the charter party gives that right.
Owner’s agent
Acts for the ship’s interests.
Charterer’s agent
Acts for the cargo and voyage interests of the charterer.
Owner’s agent
Takes instructions from the owner.
Charterer’s agent
Takes instructions from the charterer, within the appointment.
Owner’s agent
Costs sit on the owner’s account.
Charterer’s agent
Costs may sit with the charterer, depending on the fixture.
Other agency appointments
Appointment
Husbandry agent
What it covers
Crew, stores and non-cargo matters, often appointed alongside a charterer’s agent.
Appointment
Protective agent
What it covers
Appointed by the owner to oversee another agent’s handling of the call.
Appointment
General or liner agent
What it covers
Appointed for all of a line’s calls at a port, rather than for a single visit.
Appointment
Sub-agent
What it covers
Appointed by the agent itself, to cover a port or task it does not handle directly.
Ship agents in PortzApp
Both sides of the same account
In PortzApp an agent buys services for the vessel and sells its own agency services, often within the same port call. The disbursement account for that call holds both, so what was bought on the vessel’s behalf and what the agent charged for its own work sit in one record.
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