Editing The Cluster Falk:Star Trading (section)

== '''Shipbroking''' ==

Shipbroking is the main conduit for interstellar commerce. Shipbrokers are specialist intermediaries/negotiators (i.e. brokers) between ship owners and charterers who use ships to transport cargo, and secondarily, between buyers and sellers of vessels.

Shipbrokers maintain large databases of vessel positions, cargoes, and rates, paying constant attention to the direction of the markets so as to advise their clients accurately as to how to maximize profits or minimize expenses.  They are engaged to act either for a ship owner looking for employment for a ship, or a charterer with a cargo to be shipped. The shipbroker takes a standard 1.5% commission based on the value of the freight - including demurrage - from both ends of the deal. A ship owner may contract exclusively with a broker for a lower 1% commission. For small cargoes and less travelled routes, the shipbroker may up their commission to 2.5%.

Shipbrokers are also often agents for bareboat and voyage charters without worrying about cargoes. In such cases, the typical fee is 1% from both ends. Most governing authorities require charters to be registered and executed by a shipbroker or similar certified agent.