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


Welcome to our new Chair


Hopefully, you will have seen in the logistics media that I have a new boss. I am pleased to welcome Rachel Morley of OIA Global to her role as BIFA National Chair for the next two years. Rachel joined the BIFA Board in 2016 and has also been Chair of the BIFA Midlands Region. There is more about Rachel on page 7, and of course I must thank John Stubbings, who stepped down as National Chair at the BIFA Annual General Meeting at the end of May, for his work in the last two years, and prior to that as a long-standing member of the Board. I have often said that we could fill BIFAlink with scam news and it is my assumption


that you are mostly aware of not only the latest ones, but also those old ones that get re-invented. In my early days in an office there were any number of directory scams that


nowadays are more sophisticated using web technology. The net result is the same with money being irretrievably lost. On page 12 of this issue there is an article by a BIFA Associate Member, solicitors LA Marine, summarising some of the more prevalent export-related frauds. An item that would be worth showing to apprentices or younger staff who have yet to develop the cynical streak needed to assess what appears to be a good opportunity to quote. Talking of apprentices, there are generous financial incentives for taking on a new recruit at present. BIFA


assisted in the creation of a bespoke apprenticeship for the freight forwarding sector which has been really successful, so with the end of the school year upon us, now could be a good time to look out for a new starter. BIFA does not manage the apprenticeship programme so you will need to speak to an Apprentice Training Provider to do this. There is more information at www.bifa.org – look for the Apprenticeships tab on the front page or contact Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Recently, yet another publication trotted out the “it is the end of the traditional forwarder” line. On closer


inspection, it was based on the same comments issued by the same individual earlier this year that I wrote about in the April edition of BIFAlink. I am confident that shippers are not asking you for “mathematical optimisation solutions to solve complex planning and scheduling problems” but more likely “is that your lowest price?”. Of course, the truth is that the forwarding sector is already busy preparing to transform procedures. Our


global representative body, FIATA, aims to make its standard trade documents, including the FIATA Bill of Lading, easily available to freight forwarders through existing software providers. It is intended that you will be able to use the FIATA Multimodal bill of lading (FBL) with your everyday software tools. FIATA also aims to create digital identity profiles for its members, which will include tailored information (such as liability insurance information and common legal entity identifiers) certifying that they are valid FIATA members and trustworthy companies. Debate continues over the appropriateness of the rates being charged by the lines to ship a container at


present. Shippers, via the CEO of the Global Shippers Forum, have renewed their call for the carrier block exemption to be removed and for container shipping to be regulated as a utility to prevent it restricting capacity. I note that carriers are achieving unprecedented profits with reports in the maritime media indicating that


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.


following the US$13.3 billion operating profit achieved in the second quarter of last year by the world’s 11 largest container shipping lines, this year’s first quarter has taken the industry to staggering new levels. The articles indicate that of the 11 carriers reporting these figures, only three recorded a year-on-year


increase in revenue in the first quarter below 50%, with three carriers more than doubling their revenue year-on- year, adding that the combined EBIT in the first quarter of all reporting carriers was a staggering US$16.19 billion. Small wonder then, that many BIFA Members and others, are asking whether the actions that have led to these extraordinary profits reek of collusion?


Robert Keen Director General


July 2021


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