BIFA News
BIFA in fi nal for Maritime Solent Diversity Award
Import Control System (ICS2): Are you ready? Members are reminded that the EU Import Control System 2 (ICS2) requirements will go live for road and rail movements from 31 December 2025. These changes will introduce new advance data submission obligations for traders moving goods into the EU and Northern Ireland. We explored this topic in detail in the August edition of BIFAlink , providing an overview of the regulatory changes and what they mean for BIFA Members. The article can be read at: https://online.flippingbook .com/link/587710/18/ To further assist Members with preparations, additional useful information is available in one of our recent announcements, which can be accessed via the link below. https://bifa.org/2025/10/3 0/ics2-latest-hmrc-
BIFA was selected as a fi nalist for the 2025 Maritime Solent Award for Diversity. The Diversity Award category, which is sponsored by the Royal Navy, is for an organisation that has demonstrated itself to be a changemaker in the realm of diversity. BIFA was selected as a finalist based on its close collaboration with the South Hampshire College Group (SHCG). The outcome of the collaboration was that a truly diverse group of people were able to be trained in skills highly relevant to logistics businesses, enabling them to gain employment and progression in their careers. BIFA also arranged for young freight forwarders in Member businesses to visit the college and speak directly to students to give them insight into the career opportunities in logistics and freight forwarding. This interaction between young forwarders and students is ongoing and making a real difference to the career choices made by the student population.
Steve Parker, BIFA director general, and Paul Cunningham, BIFA regional representative Solent, at the Maritime Solent Awards ceremony
develop over the coming months and years, not just in the Solent region but in colleges across the UK. BIFA extends sincere thanks to the team at the SHCG who are highly proactive and committed to all aspects of the collaboration. The awards evening, brilliantly organised by Maritime Solent, reflected the vibrant maritime sector across the Solent region. To find out more about Maritime Solent, visit https://maritimesolent.com/
Although we did not win, being selected in the final three from many other nominated organisations reflected the impact BIFA has made through this collaboration with the SHCG. BIFA will continue to strongly promote diversity across the logistics sector and would like to thank Members for the support given to this initiative, which we intend to grow and
Descartes publishes forwarder benchmark study
Descartes has now published its 2025 edition of Descartes’ Forwarder & Broker Benchmark Study, which can be viewed at https://www.clecat.org/medi a/2025_10_bfes_benchmark _survey.pdf The study, which is now in its ninth year, draws insights from more than 430 freight forwarders and customs brokers worldwide, including many from Europe. Both BIFA and CLECAT have encouraged their respective Members to respond to ensure an accurate reflection of their views. The 2025 survey highlights a
digitalisation and automation, smaller firms remain constrained by limited resources and are focusing on process optimisation and cost control. Among the key findings are: • Global instability remains the top concern (60%), followed by tariff volatility and compliance costs. • 67% of respondents consider technology fundamental or highly important for growth, but only a minority fully integrate it into operations. • AI is emerging as the leading source of IT value and a central area for
planned investment in the next two years. • Tailored and high-value services continue to be the main competitive differentiators, as companies balance efficiency with customer- specific solutions. BIFA is pleased to have supported this initiative as it provides valuable information for the freight forwarding and customs clearance communities. BIFA would like to thank CLECAT and Descartes for providing the information that this article is based on.
sector facing continued instability and cost pressures, yet cautiously optimistic about the transformative potential of technology – particularly artificial intelligence (AI). While larger companies are accelerating investments in
8 | December 2025
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