Ship broker

The ship broker practices one of the most ancient professions in the sea industry and his status is duly regulated. Its origin dates back from the December 1657 edict written during the reign of Louis XIV and the November 14, 1835 order which set, once and for all, the activity of ship brokers.

In France, ship brokers are ministerial officers appointed by the Head of State. This office was abolished by the January 2001 Law with effect from March 21, 2004.

Ship brokers perform, on behalf of a shipowner, a number of administrative requirements. They are, first and foremost, business intermediaries between shippers (companies with freight to be carried) and carriers (shipowners or ships). They also negotiate chartering contracts, i.e. ship rental.

They may play a role in the sale and the construction of a ship. To work for a broker, the same skills as those needed with a forwarder are required.

The broker may also negotiate risk covers with insurance companies. They mainly negotiate:

• For the shipowner, the cover of the risk involved by seafaring,
• For the shipper, the cover of the risk related to freight.

They prepare and make the parties sign the corresponding contracts. They receive a commission.

There is no specific training. The insurance broker shall have some knowledge of insurance, transport and maritime law. Most of the training offered by universities is sufficient.

Testimonies of people working for a ship broker in Le Havre:

After training as a “Employé de transit et consignation – forwarding and brokering employee”  at the CCIH, Karl worked at different seasonal jobs for shipowners and shipping agents operating in Le Havre. Now working as an import assistant within a brokering firm, he declares: “thanks to this position I can practice my English everyday. My job allows me to better know ship turnarounds in various ports. Using AP+* each day allowed me to learn the customs clearance procedure. My experience made me benefit from the knowledge acquired in different countries and their ports as well as the alliances that may exist between shipowners. “

Isabelle trained as a Port Service Secretary at Montivilliers CCI & CAUX. After a previous experience in import consignment and a position that allowed her to translate experts reports, she became an import assistant at a brokering office. She declares: “my experience made it possible for me to put into practice the theory I learned, especially on AP+* but also to better understand the exchanges occurring between different services. This also allows me to develop relations and contacts with clients. I can now be more responsive, take initiatives and deal with ship files from the declaration of goods to their closing. “

Témoignages

After graduating in Law, Florian earned a Master’s degree in marine law and a second one in insurance law. He now works as a customer service agent for a brokering firm specialized in Transport insurance. Florian considers that: “through this profession I was able to work in cooperation with different stakeholders of the transport branch and to meet the industrials of this region”. Berangere, a claims manager for a maritime and transport insurance company holds a master’s degree in marine law and port activities from Le Havre faculty of International Business which gave her access to this profession. “This job allowed me to put into use the knowledge acquired throughout my legal education. I was also able to develop the business dimension of my curriculum, being each day in contact with our customers who are important stakeholders in the maritime and port business such as transporters, handlers, etc.”

After training as a “Employé de transit et consignation – forwarding and brokering employee” at the CCIH, Karl worked at different seasonal jobs for shipowners and shipping agents operating in Le Havre. Now working as an import assistant withing a brokering firm, he declares: “thanks to this position I can practice my English everyday. My job allows me to better know ship turnarounds in various ports. Using AP+* each day allowed me to learn the Customs clearance procedure. My experience made me benefit from the knowledge acquired in different countries and their ports as well as the alliances that may exist between shipowners. “

Isabelle trained as a Port Service Secretary at Montivilliers CCI & CAUX. After a previous experience in import consignment and a position that allowed her to translate experts reports, she became an import assistant at a brokering office. She declares: “my experience made it possible for me to put into practice the theory I learned, especially on AP+* but also to better understand the exchanges occurring between different services. This also allows me to develop relations and contacts with clients. I can now be more responsive, take initiatives and deal with ship files from the declaration of goods to their closing.

Source: multiple Internet sources, specialized literature, testimonials (Pratic-Export, Pôle-emploi cards, Wikipedia, Onisep, CNRTL, Umep à la Page…)