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 Executive Director Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor Pawel Jarza p.jarza@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor David Stroud d.stroud@bifa.org Editorial Co-ordinator Sharon Hammond s.hammond@bifa.org


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


A Membership stretched to the limit


In the six years I have been writing an introductory column, this has to be one of the most difficult that I have composed. Many BIFA Members reported the craziest start to the year of any they could recall; the word bonkers was used a few times to describe the changes in procedures resulting from the UK fully exiting the EU. BIFA Members are working exceptionally hard to keep goods moving faced with


massive problems from all directions. It is hard to be uplifting after talking to BIFA Members that are stretched and stressed by the new EU exit arrangements. Normally I would provide an update on key items such as BIFA Standard Trading Conditions, or the latest position on the global container imbalance, but BIFA Members tell me there is little time to consider anything other than the huge workload.


Sadly, a couple of industry stalwarts passed away recently. Owen Lonsdale was one of our main air cargo


security trainers for many years and no doubt some of you will have attended one of his courses at our Feltham offices. We also lost the founder of Norman Global, Ken Norman. Obituaries will be in next month’s edition of BIFAlink. Like so many other events in these past 12 months, and for the first time in their 32-year history, the BIFA


Freight Service Awards were forced to become an online virtual event. I hope that you managed to find a few minutes in your busy schedules to grab a drink and view the video celebrations that were released last month. Do not worry if you missed them – the videos will remain on the BIFA website for the foreseeable future. In a difficult year, BIFA Members responded to the call for entries and presented a range of deserving submissions; my congratulations go to all the finalists and winners. Full details can be found on pages 12-16 of this issue of BIFAlink. I often mention our friends at the European Freight Trades Association (EFTA) who are the leading Credit


Forum for UK freight, shipping and logistics companies. With the current economic carnage, BIFA Members that want to bolster their credit control functions may be interested to know that the subscription rate from April 2021 will be £240 (around 67p a day); new BIFA Members joining will receive a 50% first-year discount, which will mean just £120 for this next financial year. EFTA can be contacted via eftaweb.com We have a change at BIFA in relation to dangerous goods (DG). We have decided not to offer DG-related


guidance, mainly due to the technical nature of the subject and the significant risks should incorrect guidance be given. BIFA Members dealing with DG shipments should have an appointed Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor (DGSA) to whom questions can be posed. BIFA does not have the level of expertise to provide guidance on this subject We stopped holding classroom training last year when the first lockdown occurred, but DG training is


available from Cargo Training International (CTI). Bookings must now be made and paid for directly with CTI. There are details on the training pages of bifa.org This also means the closure of the BIFA Dangerous Goods Advisory Body, so I extend our grateful thanks to


the BIFA Members who have offered their time and experience over the years. Finally, I will be reaching out to BIFA Members over the coming months regarding communication. We often


Note to media: If you wish to use items in this magazine that are older than 1 month, please contact the editor to ensure that the item in question still reflects the current circumstances.


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.


get nice plaudits about the flow of information we provide, whether in BIFAlink or by other methods such as e-mail, web newsletters or at our website. We are always looking to improve, so if you have an opinion or want to ‘pick a bone’ with me, please get in touch. As you can imagine, the twin issues of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and EU Exit have put a


considerable strain on the Secretariat’s resources, which have to be focused on where we can provide the most assistance to Members and deliver the most benefit to them.


Robert Keen Director General


February 2021


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