The Role of the Maritime Broker in Modern Maritime Markets

<jats:p>This article examines the key role of a marine broker as an intermediary between shipowners and cargo owners in the modern maritime industry. The main focus is on the functions of a ship chartering broker and facilitating purchase and sale transactions, chartering, insurance, etc., including agreeing on terms of transactions, providing expert knowledge on the shipping market, prices and cargoes. The article considers the importance of professional transaction support and the influence of brokers on the effectiveness of transactions that facilitate and ensure maritime transportation. The marine broker plays a key role, bringing together potential counterparties: cargo owners and shipowners. Currently, there is significant technological progress in the field of online digital platforms, large technology companies have entered various markets radically transforming them. This digital trend is also present in the maritime transportation sector. The article discusses initiatives to digitalize maritime brokerage activities in order to reduce transaction costs in order to make the cargo-ship matching process more efficient and increase market transparency.</jats:p>