Course Details

1. Clearly differentiate between Tramp and Liner shipping services and explain how different cargo types and their trade benefit from the use of each of the two services.
2. Illustrate the benefits brought to Global Trade by unitisation and mainly Containerisation and clearly explain the resulting boost to trade. Present the notion of Intermodalism and its benefits. Discuss the trend towards commodity containerisation. Analyse salient points in containership development and fleet.
3. Associate the physical movement of cargo with the possible stakeholders in international trade and intermodal transportation from origin to final destination and be able to evaluate from the cargo owner’s point of view the different options available in terms of inco terms, documentation and cost. Be conversant with all suitable cargo handling gear.
4. Under given circumstances evaluate the choices available to traders as regards different types of transportation services. Extensively present the tasks of the liner agent, the forwarder, the haulier. Discuss the salient points of the Agency Agreement, the bill of lading, seawaybill, Letter of Credit, along with all relevant liability and legal responsibility issues.
5. Present the way container services are priced and discuss tariffs, container trade routes, and container ports and terminals. Extensively discuss the transhipment ports and how these affect the liner service. Critically evaluate the tendency for vertical diversification of liner operators.
6. Outline the relationships between worldwide transportation stakeholders and recognise the possible effect to cargo interests. Appraise the different ways Liner Operators cooperate and outline the recent trends and possible effects to trade.
7. Explain the legal background of Carriers Limitation of Liability internationally and its relationship to issues regarding cargo insurance.

• Liner and Tramp Shipping Services.

• Cargo Types and choice of Shipping Service.

• Unitisation and Containerisation. Intermodalism. Container Handling Equipment. Container ships. Types of Container Lines and Services.

• Physical Movement of the Containers and the associated Documentation and Costs.

• INCO Terms, Documentary Credit. Bills of Lading. 

• Liner Pricing, Tariffs. 

• Container Trade Routes, Ports and Terminals.

• Consortia, Conferences, and Mergers and Acquisitions. 

• Limitation of Liability of Carriers. 

• Martin Stopford, ‘Maritime Economics’, Latest edition, Routledge.
• M. Levinson, The Box, Princeton, 2006.
• M. Greve et al, Container Shipping and Economic Development, Copenhagen Business School Press, 2007.

• Various articles about contemporary issues relevant to Liner Operators by P. Cariou and T. E. Noteboom.