Maritime Agency

an organization that services ships in seaports upon the assignment of shipowners. In the USSR, Soviet ships are serviced by agencies of Transflot (Agencies for the Merchant Marine of the USSR) and foreign ships by agencies of Inflot (Maritime Agencies for Servicing Foreign Ships in Ports of the USSR). The work of these agencies is regulated by statutes. The ports themselves fulfill some of the functions of the agencies (drawing up transportation documents and receiving, registering, and delivering cargo). The size of the compensation for the agenting functions is set forth in price lists of the State Price Committee under the USSR State Planning Committee (for agencies of Inflot) and by the Ministry of the Merchant Marine (for agencies of Transflot and for ports). Soviet ships are serviced in foreign ports for an agreed-upon compensation by corresponding organizations (in the socialist countries) or by agenting firms (in the capitalist countries), with which Soviet shipping organizations conclude agenting contracts.