Steve Parker’s Column
Addressing Middle East turmoil W ith April upon us, activity in the Middle East continues to dominate world news. Whilst BIFA and its Members are unable to influence any of the events, I know our industry is finding ways to keep freight flowing through the global supply chains that are being affected. BIFA is constantly thinking about the impact on our Members and what we can do to help. We also want to keep you up to date at our meetings, and with that in mind I want to remind you that Allie Renison from SEC Newgate is a guest speaker at our upcoming Business Leaders Forum on 12 May. Allie is currently in the US and has been attending meetings in Washington. Her latest updates will be worth hearing. Allie, along with other speakers, will give some important updates and bring strategic thinking for our industry. Let me just say we are almost fully booked, so please take this opportunity to register. Further information can be found on our website as well as the article on page 12. Whilst writing about opportunities to meet and network, I would like to remind you of our conference in September. I am very pleased that a number of Members have booked already and 95% of the bookings are from those who attended last year. Training Just recently we reached a milestone in our BIFA Bitesize eLearning when Hannah Verlaque, from Hellman Worldwide Logistics, completed the 10,000th course module and was presented with a certificate in recognition of the fact. April will see the launch of more modules in the BIFA Bitesize programme. I would just urge you to review all that this form of staff development has to offer by visiting the training area of the website. Representation We have used all of our communication channels and released BIFA TV episodes that address the many issues, as well as providing guidance on how the 2025 BIFA Standard Trading Conditions provide support during this time. In this issue there is an article that analyses the implications of the conflict on Members’ contractual arrangements. BIFA takes pride in being the voice of the UK’s international freight and logistics sector, but we also work with other trade associations to gather views from businesses and present the full picture to the UK government. We are doing this as part of the Alliance of Logistics Trade Associations (ALTA). Currently as a group, and individually, we are in direct contact with the government over its approach to ensuring supply chain resilience in light of the situation in the Middle East. We will maintain contact with government as the situation develops. If you have any information you would like to share about the impact of the conflict, we can pass it on to the relevant government departments, who will find it valuable. BIFA will also continue to work with ALTA to deliver a collective voice to government on the many issues facing companies involved in managing the UK international supply chains and cross border trade.
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 & External Affairs Director Pawel Jarza p.jarza@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 Senior Policy Advisor – Ocean & Legal matters Robert Windsor r.windsor@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Customs Igor Popovics i.popovics@bifa.org Policy & Compliance Advisor – Sustainable Logistics Jamie McKean j.mckean@bifa.org Head of Digital Communications & Events Dawn White d.white@bifa.org Communications Manager Natalie Pitts n.pitts@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, Spencer Stevenson, Carl Hobbis, Sharon Hammond, Igor Popovics, Denise Hill, Pawel Jarza, Natalie Pitts, Jamie McKean 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.
Director General
April 2026 | 3
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