Member Engagement
Meeting Members around the country
The regional team have had a very busy early summer holding 11 meetings around the country during June and the fi rst half of July. It is great to meet so many Members and listen to the excellent discussions that take place around not only day-to-day concerns, but also longer-term considerations
Paul Newman, regional consultant, reports on activity in Anglia and the south-east: Anglia More than 50 Members joined us in Felixstowe where guest speakers from TRS explained the freight forwarding bootcamp course and funding available from Norfolk and Suffolk councils that Members can access. The Port of Felixstowe team advised Members about infrastructure upgrades at the port and market activity, reporting that volumes out of Asia are strong with carriers expecting earlier peaks and capacity being difficult to obtain. Kent & East Sussex Members met in Dover on the day before the general election and were pleased to hear from Dover Port Health Authority on relevant issues at the port. Issues discussed included the impact of the European Entry System for all non-EU nationals, which is due to be implemented in early October, whereby all those travelling, including drivers, will need to have a photograph and fingerprints taken or hold a valid EU visa. Concerns were raised over possible delays whilst the system becomes embedded. London East BIFA & CNS held a joint Essex port community meeting with around 40 people in attendance. We were joined by HMRC who spoke about the NCTS5 system upgrade, and local Border Force representatives who updated us on port activities. Chris
Pomfrett from DP World gave an overview of port developments and sustainability initiatives, and Robert Hill from the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers provided an insightful presentation on maritime matters, including the Red Sea crisis and tensions in the South China Sea. Sam Warren spoke about his journey to become sustainability manager at Woodland group and how workload has changed due to customer demand. Andrew Melton held meetings in northern England and reports: Yorkshire A number of Members from around the Leeds-Bradford area attended and, whilst implementation had gone well, raised concerns around the known issues with non- departed entries in CDS. Members dealing with imports from the EU through the Channel ports are aware of the Common User Charge and remain hopeful that any problems will be minimal when bills arrive. Kelly Hobson, recently elected as vice chair of the Sustainable Logistics Policy Group, gave an interesting presentation titled ‘People-Planet-Profit’, in which she discussed creating a thriving but sustainable business. Liverpool Individuals from 25 Member companies attended the meeting and discussed the new MSC service from the Far East, with some Members expressing reservations about the local infrastructure being able to cope with the added volumes.
“ Issues discussed included the impact of the European Entry System for all non-EU nationals, due to be implemented in early October, whereby all those travelling, including drivers, will need to have a photograph and fi ngerprints taken or hold a valid EU visa
However, the development was generally welcomed and Members felt it would ultimately benefit the region. The latest news on the Red Sea was discussed and Members considered that the present vessel routing will remain for some time. Suzannah Lines, business development manager at TRS, presented information on the educational boot camps available in the region with local government subsidies. Members were also provided with the date for the next Liverpool Charity Dinner as 7 March 2025. The next Member meeting is proposed to be 1 October and will be a joint meeting co-hosted by Mersey Maritime. Manchester The developments at Heathrow Airport were discussed and also the IATA DG Certificate requirements, with a couple of Members reporting they were having difficulties finding the right section to submit their certificates. Updates from the Sustainable Logistics Policy Group were given and Members were encouraged to engage with their clients and staff to plan for future initiatives. Members were advised of upcoming events and encouraged to sign up early. Cameron Smith,
18 | August 2024
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