Steve Parker’s Column
In search of superpowers I am writing this having just returned from my fi ve-year-old
BIFAlink is the official magazine of the British International Freight Association Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 (A company limited by guarantee. Registered in England: 00391973. VAT Registration: 216476363) Director General Steve Parker s.parker@bifa.org Member Policy & Compliance Director Robert Windsor r.windsor@bifa.org Member Support Director Spencer Stevenson s.stevenson@bifa.org Member Services Director Carl Hobbis c.hobbis@bifa.org Member Engagement Director Denise Hill d.hill@bifa.org International Relations Advisor Robert Keen r.keen@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Frontier Policy Manager Pawel Jarza p.jarza@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Customs Igor Popovics i.popovics@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Adviser – Sustainable Logistics Mike Jones m.jones@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Air David Stroud d.stroud@bifa.org Editorial Co-ordinator Sharon Hammond s.hammond@bifa.org Membership Supervisor Sarah Milton s.milton@bifa.org Web site: www.bifa.org E-mail: bifa@bifa.org Published by Park Lane Publishing peter@parklanepublishingltd.com Contributors Steve Parker, Robert Windsor, David Stroud, Spencer Stevenson, Carl Hobbis, Sharon Hammond, Igor Popovics, Robert Keen, Denise Hill, Mike Jones, Pawel Jarza, Natalie Pitts Note to media: If you wish to use items in this magazine that are older than one month, please contact the editorial co- ordinator 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.
granddaughter’s birthday party – where 28 little girls (dressed as Elsa or Anna) and hyped on cake and ice cream – were all ‘singing’ Let It Go from Disney’s Frozen at the top of their voice, whilst wishing (and pretending) they had magical superpowers. BIFA, and the Members it serves, could well use some superpowers as we grapple with the issues affecting our work across all modes. October produced new issues for everyone involved in air freight forwarding following the output from the TSA. Ocean freight teams are still coping with all the issues in the Middle East and a short-lived port strike in the USA. In the Customs arena, we are continuing to deal with requirements on sanitary and phytosanitary goods and Common User Charges, and lastly
our Members in Northern Ireland are continuing to deal with the changes that come their way. But we have had much good news. In regard to the TSA, we continue to work to get all the updates we can and post them on our website. The strike in the USA was over before it really got going, lasting just three days. We had an excellent meeting with our Members plus HMRC and Border Force in Northern Ireland, and lastly, we held our Business Leaders Forum with some great updates about the ocean freight mode, artificial intelligence within logistics, as well as looking at recruitment and retention in our sector. I opened the forum with industry updates, mostly supplied by Analytiqa, which confirmed a lot of the anecdotal feedback I had been getting, suggesting that business was improving, and investments in both hard assets and IT were strong, which all bodes well for the future. We were also engaged with CCSUK and an update meeting on the Advanced Information System (AIS) that has been produced for deliveries and collections in air freight, which is being rolled out at the moment. Nearly 200 people attended and much interest was shown in this development which can help move our industry forward. BIFAlink TV continued to develop as we released episodes on insurance, and implemented multi-channel output, making the content accessible via other platforms such as LinkedIn, as well on our YouTube channel where it was originally launched. Lastly, and in some ways the most exciting development, has seen ITN Business produce and release a programme about the logistics industry, in which BIFA had a significant role regarding the development and content. If you have not watched it, I urge you to do so. You can find it here: https://business.itn.co.uk/programmes/transforming-logistics-precision-and-purpose/ What will November bring? Our work continues and, for something different, at the end of the month BIFA is hosting the Working Group Sea from FIATA. This will be an opportunity for our ocean freight experts to meet with their counterparts from around the globe. And, of course, towards the end of the month, we will all be headed into our lofts or other storage areas to retrieve the paraphernalia associated with the festive holidays that are just around the corner, much to the delight of my five-year-old granddaughter who has already drafted her letter to Santa. Earlier this year, with all the supply chain disruptions, there were headlines about Christmas being cancelled. Thanks to the sterling work done by BIFA Members to address and overcome those disruptions, and keep supply chains moving, I’m pleased to report that those headlines were wide of the mark.
Director General
November 2024 | 3
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