(a) An agency agreement is an agreement between an ocean common carrier and another ocean common carrier or marine terminal operator, acting as the former's agent, under which the agent solicits and books cargoes and signs contracts of affreightment and bills of lading on behalf of the ocean common carrier. Such an agreement may or may not also include husbanding service functions and other functions incidental to the performance of duties by agents, including processing of claims, maintenance of a container equipment inventory control system, collection and remittance of freight and reporting functions.

(b) An agency agreement as defined above is exempt from the filing requirements of the Act and of this part, except those:

(1) Where a common carrier is to be the agent for a competing ocean common carrier in the same trade; or

(2) That permit an agent to enter into similar agreements with more than one ocean common carrier in a trade.

(c) The filing fee for optional filing of agency agreements is provided in §535.401(g).