History
London Conference in the spring of 1942, a sub-committee was established to “study the question of the improvement of the status of the forwarding trade”. The suggestion was to seek a form of licensing for shipping and forwarding agents. Liverpool joined the sub-committee, followed by some other UK port associations. The outcome was a conference in March 1943 and subsequent meetings where all eight UK forwarding associations were present and began acting as a body representing the whole shipping and forwarding sector for the UK following a common policy. Professional body During 1943, the idea of a professional body to raise the status of the Shipping and Forwarding Agents and its staff began to take shape. On 1 December 1943, the last of the joint meetings was held and the National Council of Shipping and Forwarding Agents was instituted, consisting of two members from each of the eight associations. The primary duty of the National Council was to form an Institute of Shipping & Forwarding Agents, and in the meantime it was to act as a body representing the general interests of all agents throughout the country. The next step was to draw up a constitution and form the proposed Institute. The local associations became branches of the institute and the National Council was replaced by the Council of the Institute. On 28 November 1944, the personnel of the National Council became the signatories to the Memorandum and Articles of Association, making them the first Council of the newly formed Institute, which was incorporated on 19 December 1944 as the Institute of Shipping & Forwarding Agents.
In the beginning Since stepping down from his position as Director General at the end of 2022, Robert Keen has been busy documenting the history of BIFA, the fi rst instalment of which is published here.
W hilst it is likely that there are no formal records prior to 1897 when the London Shipping and Forwarding Agents’ Conference was constituted as an organised body to represent freight forwarders. The year 1901 saw the commencement of the Liverpool Shipping and Forwarding Agents’ Association, and in 1913 London became an incorporated body, Liverpool being incorporated in 1920. The London Shipping and Forwarding Agents’ Conference assumed a leading position in the organisations of freight forwarders existed earlier, international arena, demonstrated by the UK being a founder member of FIATA, the International Federation of Freight Forwarders, at the inaugural meeting in Vienna in May 1926. Early organisations For many years Liverpool and London were the only British organisations, although local arrangements existed in some ports. In April 1926, the Manchester Shipping and Forwarding Agents’ Conference was formed and this led to the formation of the British Association of Shipping and Forwarding Agents in January 1928, which was incorporated in July 1930. The British Association of Shipping & Forwarding Agents was constituted as a trade association and encouraged the formation of further local associations. But whilst it was a
“ The British Association of Shipping & Forwarding Agents was constituted as a trade association and encouraged the formation of further local associations
central organisation for the industry, it did not command support throughout the whole of the UK. In May 1938, the Southampton & District Shipping and Forwarding Agents’ Association was instituted and became a Company Limited by guarantee in February 1939. Also in May 1938, the UK-Canada Westbound Forwarding Association Ltd was incorporated. The Shipping and Forwarding Agents’ section of the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce was formed in November 1941 and by September 1942 the Bristol Channel Association of Shipping and Forwarding Agents had been inaugurated, agents in both districts having found the necessity of an organisation to protect their interests. At the annual meeting of the
10 | June 2023
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