www.bifa.org


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.


June 2018


In celebration of freight forwarding


I have been on a crusade recently, challenging any report denigrating freight forwarders. Of course, such reports are not overt criticism of our profession but there is always the inference that we are somehow backward looking, whilst the actual truth is that the sector is always seeking new ways to assist customers and introduce innovation into the supply chain. I have mentioned before how one of the best parts of my job is visiting BIFA


Members and I was recently invited to a BIFA Member concerned about preparing staff for any changes to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) routines following Brexit, and as always it was great to see a tight run and efficient operation. Having been in the industry for many years I can identify when a company has the right mix by the


welcome you receive and the attitude of the staff you meet. Whenever I visit a BIFA Member the culture is usually apparent from the greeting and first impressions. So, I am confident that when I talk about our profession, I speak with authority. I think my first column for BIFAlink as Director General was headed “put the kettle on”, and nearly four years later I am still enjoying visiting BIFA Members and there is always something to learn. You may have read about the Trailblazer Apprenticeship in the past couple of years and I am pleased to say


that it has finally been approved. It has seemed a hard slog at times and all credit to our Training and Development Manager, Carl Hobbis. Carl joined us at the start of 2016 to act as a trainer for our current suite of training courses and there were plans to modify our offerings. Just as we had him trained there were two events that changed his priorities. Firstly, we were approached by a group of BIFA Members to assist with a planned apprenticeship, and secondly there was the Brexit vote which scuppered our training development plans for the time being. Carl took on supporting the apprenticeship work with vigour and I have no doubt his dedication and application ensured its success. Carl is undertaking a series of breakfast seminars soon with an apprentice provider, so keep checking the website for dates and locations. Whilst the preparation for our series of seminars regarding the CHIEF replacement, the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), is progressing smoothly, we have received criticism from BIFA Members that these are limited in their nationwide coverage. We have always endeavoured to avoid being thought of as ‘London centric’ with our regional representation, but our resources are finite and both BIFA and HMRC devised a programme to speak to about 1,000 BIFA Member representatives at five strategic locations. When we toured with our SOLAS presentations in 2015, we spoke to the same number of people in 22 locations, but this time we could not secure HMRC support for a similar programme. We are sorry that BIFA Members are being asked to travel. However, later in the year we hope to present to all areas as the roll-out of CDS becomes clearer, so keep checking the Events tab on the BIFA website for your nearest regional meeting. As you will see from the article on page 18, we had our usual busy time at the Multimodal Exhibition. I was


particularly pleased with the attendance at our Brexit seminar as the room was full, with people standing and crowded outside the entrance. BIFA Members will know that we have avoided speculation about the outcomes of Brexit until the deal is done. However, David Davis (the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union) apparently said to a House of Lords committee that leaving the Single Market and the Customs Union will mean huge amounts of extra bureaucracy and paperwork for businesses exporting to the EU. This is the clearest indication we have had that full entry declarations will be required. I closed our seminar by reassuring the audience that freight forwarders are an innovative and service driven breed, and that as soon as we know the landscape after leaving the EU, your freight forwarder will be there to help you through the changes.


Robert Keen Director General


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