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.


February 2019


A showcase for progress on apprentices


Last month saw the annual BIFA Awards at our usual venue in Central London. A full report is contained inside this edition of BIFAlink. This year it was particularly gratifying to see our work on the next generation of forwarders bearing dividends with the announcement of the apprentice of the year award. This is another giant step forward on the journey that started in 2016 when a group of BIFA Members was formed to design a specific Trailblazer apprenticeship for international freight forwarding. We were pleased to support the work and underpin the technical requirements of the standard, and now there are already in excess of 150 young people in employment with BIFA Members – and this is just the start. Many thanks to Outsource Training and Development for sponsoring the award.


Associated with the apprenticeship work will be our drive this year to encourage BIFA Member owners and


senior staff to give something back to the industry and their communities by supporting regional initiatives for the forwarders of tomorrow or visiting local schools and colleges to highlight what a great career is available in our sector. There will be more information on this initiative in future editions. In the meantime, I would urge you all to support the National Apprenticeship Week initiative (see page 7) and ‘Blaze your own Trail’ locally.


We have been receiving enquiries lately about a ‘new kid on the block’ offering Customs Clearances. If you


are a member of a Chamber of Commerce, you may have heard about it. Apparently, the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) is proposing to offer customs brokerage services direct to importers and exporters. We do understand the concerns raised by BIFA Members but in a free market economy, and with our sector not being government regulated, there is nothing to stop anyone setting themselves up in business. It is also unclear how the Chambers of Commerce will fit into the supply chain if purely offering a customs entry service and not having relationships with ports, shipping lines, etc. Of course, there is some guesswork here as nothing has been announced.


At this stage, if BIFA Members receive enquiries from their customers we suggest that the customers ask


detailed questions of the chamber on the technical issues that forwarders deal with on a daily basis. For example, what is their knowledge of the tariff, do they offer a deferment service, do they understand the implications of the UCC, etc. BIFA has expressed the concerns of our Members to the BCC and will be maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the organisation regarding this matter.


Brexit rumbles on and it has been good to hear BIFA Members offering their expertise in the media recently.


Over the past two-and-a-half years we have attended countless meetings with various government departments explaining the supply chain and the role of BIFA Members, and one of the beneficial outcomes for BIFA Members is the provision of training funding. From 4 December 2018, customs intermediaries and traders who complete, or intend to complete customs declarations can apply for funding for training and IT. To find out more about the scheme and how to register, please visit the BIFA website www.bifa.org NEWS – INDUSTRY NEWS.


Finally, well done to Sandford Freight who achieved the milestone of 20 years trading in 2018. I was fortunate


to be invited to a celebration party in November and it was great to see the close-knit team ethos that I often see when visiting BIFA Members. Building teams is tough but the benefits for the company are obvious.


Robert Keen Director General


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