Member Engagement
Liverpool The recent breakfast meeting in Liverpool was hosted by the Liverpool Chamber who gave Members a brief update on the services available. Guests from the Port of Felixstowe spoke about the port operations and development. Regional Representative Andrew Melton introduced Karol Lima of Palfreight Ltd, Southport, who has taken on the role of regional chair. The proposed closure of the Border Force Public desk at Manchester airport was discussed and Carl Hobbis, BIFA member services director, closed the meeting with an update on the YFN and BIFA training. Manchester The Manchester meeting took place in the city centre and saw a presentation covering developments at the Port of Felixstowe. A Border Force representative provided a detailed explanation of the closure of the BF office at the Manchester airport cargo centre and the replacement provision in the T2 passenger terminal building, a subject that sparked much discussion. Bruce Hailey of Salvus Law highlighted the issues he is currently seeing cross his desk, sharing good practice on how to avoid similar problems. Glasgow Having been recently appointed as regional representative for Scotland, Jack Rice held his first meeting in Glasgow in early October welcoming guest speakers and Members. A representative from ground handler dnata spoke of its intention to mandate the booking of cargo deliveries to its facilities at all UK airports via the Advanced Information System (AIS), while associate member iCustoms demonstrated how AI can help Members improve customs entry accuracy. Common themes At all meetings, BIFA personnel provided updates of recent Policy Group discussions, BIFA training and events and the full review of the BIFA Standard Trading Conditions (STC) that has been undertaken this year.
Members meeting in Essex
BIFA Regional Representatives and consultants have been hosting member meetings and activities around the country in September and October, which are reported on below Meeting our Members
R egional member meetings are held throughout the year and provide a great forum in which to connect with the BIFA secretariat, hear from relevant local speakers, discuss national and global issues and network with peers. Future meetings are listed at www.bifa.org/events. Felixstowe The Felixstowe meeting was well- attended with a range of guest speakers. Border Force reported that compliance with safety and security declarations remains high in the maritime and air sectors but needs improvement for road freight shipments. A ‘soft’ approach has been employed to date focusing on education, but referrals to HMRC for civil penalties have recently begun. Members were reminded that multiple ENS declarations can now be included in a single GMR and heard that recent inspection delays at the port caused by increased reefer traffic have been resolved. Suffolk Port Health advised that it is not expecting updates to the BTOM and EU SPS traffic until April 2026 when the next EU/UK summit
is scheduled. MCP updated the meeting regarding software developments and availability of the beta version to deliver new functionality. London East In the London East region, BIFA and CNS held a joint port community meeting with many Members and stakeholders in attendance. CNS representatives Peter Nicholls and Peter Penfold informed Members of latest developments within their systems. Border Force Freight Engagement and Data Acquisition (FEDAT) team relayed progress on S&S declarations and the quality of data being collected especially in the road freight sector. DP World gave an overview of port developments at both London Gateway and Southampton, addressing the issues faced with taking on the Gemini alliance business, which have now stabilised. City of London Port Health informed Members of the latest issues arising, including the continuing problems with freight from Africa and specific issues with spices from India containing high pesticide levels.
“ At all meetings, BIFA personnel provided updates of recent Policy Group discussions, BIFA training and events and the full review of the BIFA Standard Trading Conditions (STC) that has been undertaken this year
16 | November 2025
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