Liner Trade Management and Intermediaries

Entities that connect buyers and sellers in the maritime industry.

A person who acts as an intermediary between a ship owner and another party for a specific task, such as buying, chartering, or selling a ship.

A type of ship broker specializing in connecting buyers and sellers of ships.

A type of ship broker specializing in arranging the charter of ships for specific voyages or time periods.

A company that provides a range of services to ship owners, including managing ship operations, arranging cargo handling, and handling port formalities.

A company that arranges and manages the transportation of goods from origin to destination. They consolidate shipments and manage the logistics.

They provide information about the shipping market to clients.

They facilitate the arrangement of transportation for clients, connecting them with appropriate vessels or services.

A shipbroker connects the buyer and seller of a ship during the transaction. They help carry out the sale/purchase of ships and operate specifically in this field. This process is called ship brokerage.

A chartering broker facilitates the charter of ships for specific voyages or time periods. They connect ship owners and charterers for short-term or long-term agreements.

The broker is someone who facilitates the transaction between two parties. In shipping, they typically focus on a specific task like chartering or buying a ship. Their role ends once the task is done.

A shipping agent is like a representative of the ship owner, handling day-to-day operations at ports. They perform tasks like securing berths, managing cargo, and handling paperwork at ports.

Port agents are appointed by the shipowner to represent their interests at a specific port. They are widely used in the tramp shipping market where ships may visit multiple ports.

Liner agents act as general agents for shipping lines, usually representing a specific company for a long period. They manage various operations within a defined geographical area.

Freight forwarders handle shipping logistics and connect shippers with carriers. They manage the transportation of goods from origin to destination. Think of them as the middlemen for cargo transportation.

A freight forwarder acting on behalf of an exporter or importer, handling tasks like loading/discharging, storage, and land transport arrangements.

A freight forwarder who operates in their own name, providing cargo consolidation and other services similar to a forwarding agent but as a principal.

A type of freight forwarder acting on behalf of a shipper, offering a comprehensive range of services like loading/discharging, cargo handling, storage, customs clearance, and transport arrangements.

Freight forwarders that act in their own name and often provide services like cargo consolidation and multimodal transport arrangements.

The process of grouping smaller shipments together into larger, more efficient loads.

Services that involve coordinating and managing the movement of goods through different transportation modes, such as road, rail, sea, and air.

A company that offers shipping services by consolidating cargo from multiple shippers and issuing its own bill of lading. This allows for efficient transport and offers a convenient option for smaller shippers.

Similar to an NVOCC but with a focus on door-to-door transport, handling the entire journey from pickup to delivery, including any necessary inland transportation.

They're the intermediaries who bring together buyers and sellers in the shipping industry, facilitating transactions for tasks like buying, chartering, or selling ships.

These companies act as representatives for ship owners, managing tasks at ports such as securing berths, managing cargo, and handling paperwork.

They handle the logistics of shipping goods, from origin to destination. They act as a link between shippers and carriers, consolidating shipments and arranging transportation.

When acting as an agent, brokers and agents are responsible for their own actions and omissions, as well as the actions of their employees. They are also liable for any harm caused to third parties during their operations.

When acting as a principal, a forwarding company takes direct responsibility for the transport, issuing its own bill of lading and engaging carriers for specific parts of the journey. They are liable for the actions and omissions of those carriers.

Although their legal status can vary between countries, generally, brokers, agents, and freight forwarders share the same legal status except for NVOCCs and MTOs, who take on the role of a principal.