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Robert Keen’s Column


BIFAlink


BIFAlink is the official magazine of the British International Freight Association Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 Web site: www.bifa.org E-mail: bifa@bifa.org (A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: 391973. VAT Registration: 216476363)


Director General Robert Keen r.keen@bifa.org Executive Director Robert Windsor r.windsor@bifa.org Executive Director Spencer Stevenson s.stevenson@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Mike Jones m.jones@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Pawel Jarza p.jarza@bifa.org Training Development Manager Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Editorial Co-ordinator Sharon Hammond s.hammond@bifa.org Administration Controller Jane Robinson j.robinson@bifa.org


Published by Park Lane Publishing peter@parklanepublishingltd.com Contributors Robert Keen, Robert Windsor, Mike Jones, Spencer Stevenson, Carl Hobbis, Sharon Hammond, Pawel Jarza


Regional Consultants to BIFA Scotland and the Borders Len Hobbs: bifa.scot@gmail.com Northern Ireland Carson McMullan: carsonconluce@aol.com Midlands and the North Paul Young: youngyes@aol.com London West and the South West Colin Young: young_colin.t21@btinternet.com Anglia, London East and the South East Paul Newman: paul@pnauk.com


Please be advised that BIFA DOES NOT OFFER LEGAL ADVICE. BIFA is not a law firm and the authors of this publication are not legally qualified and do not have any legal training. The guidance and assistance set out herein are based on BIFA’s own experience with the issues concerned and should not be in any circumstances regarded or relied upon as legal advice. It is strongly recommended that anyone considering further action based on the information contained in this publication should seek the advice of a qualified professional.


January 2018


Be wary of Iran trading pitfalls


Best wishes for a happy 2018 and we enter the new year with some clarity on how we will be processing UK Trade after March 2019. We receive a wide range of enquiries at the secretariat, one of which prompts a word


of warning to BIFA Members to be cautious when dealing with Iran. We have reported issues in the past when BIFA Members have undertaken legitimate shipments (often with export licences from the government) but have found UK Banks reticent to process payments. Due to the US attitude towards Iran and the fear that multinational banks have of falling foul of US law, various complications can be enacted that severely hamper the cash flow of legitimate payments from around the world if an ‘Iran marker’ is put against a company name. This recently happened to a BIFA Member with


hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of legitimate payments delayed, simply because one payment had been made to Iran. Back to our perennial talking point of Brexit. I write this column mid-month, so having just finished it with a


moan about the lack of clarity over the future of border controls, I have had to re-write this paragraph to reflect the changing outlook. It now seems we will get the transition agreement, and whilst it is still too early for fine detail, the prospect of a full Single Administration Document (SAD) for shipments from the EU seems to be receding. Of course, we still discuss possible outcomes at our regular meetings with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and other government departments, but until the politicians agree on the issues that you all read about in the news, it is difficult to inform BIFA Members more fully. HMRC seems to be in the same boat as the Trade sector with advice coming at it from many sides on whether to invest in more officers or in more authorised economic operator (AEO) inspectors. We are also (with the help of our President Sir Peter Bottomley MP) lobbying strongly for a more coordinated approach with government departments as we seem to encounter a lot of duplication on Brexit. The Irish Border is still a concern, with David Davis MP blandly stating that AEOs could be the solution to


future cross-border controls. Of course, things may change in the coming weeks and months but nobody should be under any illusion that with only a small proportion of traders remotely aware of AEO, and with many viewing it as something for their forwarder, getting all stakeholders in the island of Ireland authorised in such a short time would be a monumental task. Turning to good news, this month sees the annual BIFA Freight Service Awards ceremony at our event home


in Central London, The Brewery. The most uplifting award is the Young Freight Forwarder category and sitting with the sponsor, Virgin Atlantic Cargo, during the finalists’ interviews fills me with confidence for the future of our industry. Of course, not everyone can win and the difference between winner and runner up is often the narrowest of margins with the candidates all being of such a high standard. Four finalists are normally selected, but this year it was impossible to do so and for the first time we have five people vying for the award. Sometimes the personality of the candidate is a deciding factor, but this year everyone was confident and personable. So, if you are at the Awards Lunch, please reserve a special cheer for the future of your industry. Finally, please look at the article on page 7 about United for Wildlife. BIFA has been asked to support the


initiative and despite forwarders being peripheral in the transport of animal products, we have undertaken to highlight awareness of such issues to suppliers, customers and staff, and hopefully all BIFA Members can do the same. Under the BIFA Standard Trading Conditions, your customers warrant to you that they provide accurate information on the goods to be carried, but on many past occasions a forwarder has been the authorities’ best friend when spotting a dubious invoice description or some other aspect that rings alarm bells.


Robert Keen Director General


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