A single ambiguous clause in a charter party — a poorly defined safe port warranty, a vague laytime term — can turn a routine fixture into a costly dispute months after the ink has dried. Ship Chartering sits at the commercial heart of the maritime industry precisely because so much rides on how well those contracts are read, negotiated, and managed, not just signed. The Charter Party Negotiation and Freight Contract Management Training Course, delivered by Arab British Fellowship Training Academy, gives professionals a structured, practical grounding in shipbroking and chartering practice across the full life of a fixture.

Across seven modules, participants work through the shipping market and charter party types before moving into the contract detail that actually determines commercial outcome: reading and negotiating clauses, calculating freight and fixture economics, and managing laytime, demurrage, and despatch. The course closes on negotiation tactics for real fixture scenarios and on managing contractual risk and disputes once a fixture is signed. Delegates work through the major charter party forms used in dry bulk, tanker, and liner trades and leave able to read, negotiate, and manage charter parties with confidence in a competitive, fast-moving freight market.

By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the structure of the shipping market and the commercial role of shipbrokers, owners, charterers, and agents
• Identify and compare the main types of charter parties, including voyage, time, and bareboat charters
• Interpret key clauses in standard charter party forms and assess their commercial and legal implications
• Calculate freight rates, laytime, and demurrage/despatch using worked fixture examples
• Apply structured negotiation techniques to secure favourable terms in freight and fixture discussions
• Draft and review recap terms and charter party clauses with greater commercial accuracy
• Recognise common contractual disputes in maritime contracts and how they are resolved
• Manage the fixture process from first enquiry to signed contract with reduced commercial risk

Target Audience

This training course is designed for:

• Chartering managers, brokers, and operators working in shipowning or ship management companies
• Shipbrokers and freight forwarders seeking a stronger grasp of charter parties and contract terms
• Cargo owners, traders, and logistics professionals who negotiate freight and shipping contracts
• Port agents, operations staff, and legal or claims officers involved in maritime contracts
• Graduates and early-career professionals entering shipping, trading, or maritime commercial roles
• Anyone responsible for negotiating, reviewing, or managing chartering agreements and freight terms

Module 1: Why a Single Charter Party Clause Can Make or Break a Fixture

• Structure of the global shipping market and its main participants
• The commercial function of shipbrokers versus owners' and charterers' representatives
• How supply, demand, and freight indices shape chartering decisions

Module 2: Charter Party Types and Choosing the Right Structure

• Voyage charters, time charters, and bareboat charters compared
• Standard forms including Gencon, NYPE, and Shellvoy
• Owner versus charterer obligations under each charter type

Module 3: Reading and Negotiating Contract Clauses

• Laycan, safe port, and cargo clauses explained
• Freight, payment, lien, off-hire, and performance warranty clauses
• Identifying ambiguous or high-risk clauses before signing

Module 4: Freight Rate Calculation and Fixture Economics

• Building a freight rate from voyage costs and market benchmarks
• Time charter equivalent (TCE) calculations, bunker adjustment, and currency considerations

Module 5: Managing Laytime, Demurrage and Despatch

• Calculating laytime under different charter party terms
• Notice of readiness, demurrage and despatch calculations, and common disputes

Module 6: Negotiation Tactics for Shipbroking and Freight Deals

• Preparing a negotiation position using market and vessel data
• Structuring offers, counter-offers, and recap terms
• Managing multi-party negotiations and closing a fixture

Module 7: Managing Contractual Risk and Resolving Disputes

• Common sources of disputes in chartering agreements
• Arbitration, mediation, and litigation routes in maritime contracts
• Managing amendments and a practical checklist before commitment