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


Members wrestle with mounting pressure


As I write, we enter the year of the Ox. Traditionally, in our sector, the period leading up to Chinese New Year sees intense activity followed by a lull, but with the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and the global container shipping crisis that we are living through, this year is very different. Apparently, the animals associated with each Chinese New Year have certain


characteristics and the Ox is linked to hard work and serenity. Listening to BIFA Members there is little serenity in forwarders’ offices currently, but plenty of hard work. There are reports of staff regularly working until midnight, and some even sleeping in the office, as the forwarding sector grapples with the increased workload of EU Exit and the ongoing pandemic.


At BIFA, the telephones were less hectic towards the end of February but there were still regular technical


questions to be answered. I cannot praise our policy and compliance team highly enough for their diligence and hard work in keeping up with the legislative changes and providing relevant information to BIFA Members. We have had quite a few obituaries of BIFA friends lately and on page 6 of this edition we pay tribute to long


time BIFA trainer Owen Lonsdale, together with Ken Norman who founded Normal Global Logistics. We also lost Peter Marquardt of PMI Freight who I was helping with a legal matter just days before his sudden death. I understand the family hope the firm’s name will continue with a buyer, as Peter was one of our ‘one-man band’ Member companies. A sad reflection of our times is that most of us will know someone who has been lost to COVID-19; I thought


a message received from BIFA member Genco Logistics in Manchester is a reflection of many individuals in our business. It read: “It is with great sadness that we have to announce the recent death of our friend and colleague Peter Horton. Peter was a legend of the shipping and forwarding industry in North West England. Few can match Peter’s 55 years in the industry, starting at LEP in 1966 and still going strong until the virus got him in January. Shipping was not a job for him, it was his passion and pastime.” Whilst I had never met Peter, I am sure the description of him by his colleagues will make us all reflect on the


great characters we have met in our industry over the years. Returning to China and the global shipping crisis, various industry commentators are predicting that the


current clogged up supply chain will last well into quarter two. Back in November, it was anticipated the problems would have eased by the Chinese New Year. Many Chinese factories remained open through the holidays as they tried to clear orders built up after months


Note to media: If you wish to use items in this magazine that are older than one 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.


of sustained demand. This may have had more to do with restrictions on the movement of people, rather than to help with production, but shipping anything during the holidays was difficult. Customs in China were closed and carriers were still struggling with congestion and persistent equipment shortages. Many truckers opted to go home for the New Year, making them subject to mandatory quarantines and unable to drive, and in some regions (according to reports in the media) up to 95% of truckers were unavailable, with inventory backups likely to last for months. Finally, a word about the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) which is the system being developed to


supersede CHIEF. It is almost three years since we put on roadshows around the UK to introduce BIFA Members to the plans and the related revisions to the tariff. There have been numerous delays and although a limited CDS service is operating in Northern Ireland, the roll-out for mainland UK is likely to be the end of the third or the fourth quarter this year. BIFA is working with industry software body ASM UK to develop an online training course, so keep reading BIFAlink for further information on when that will be available.


Robert Keen Director General


March 2021


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