BIFAlink cover - British International Freight Association

BIFAlink 

The magazine of the British International Freight Association Issue: 240 October 2010 

Surfing a 

20-year wave 

BIFAlink marks its 20th anniversary 

– See pages 11-20 

INSIDE 

News 

7 Belgium 

tightens load 

security checks 

Trade 

Services 

8 Incoterms 2010: 

the major 

changes 

Legal Eagle 

22 Bribery Act set 

to clean up 

standards 

Profile 

26 Panprojects in 

Caspian Sea 

triumph 

Events 

27 Graham Poll to 

host BIFA 

awards

PETER QUANTRILL’S COLUMN 

DIRECTOR 

GENERAL 

BIFAlink is the official magazine of the 

British International Freight Association 

Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham 

TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 

Fax: 020 8890 5546 

Web site: www.bifa.org 

E-mail: bifa@bifa.org 

A company limited by guarantee. 

Registered in England: 391973. 

VAT Registration: 216476363 

Director General 

Peter Quantrill 

p.quantrill@bifa.org 

Executive Director 

Robert Keen 

r.keen@bifa.org 

Director Trade Services 

John O’Connell 

j.oconnell@bifa.org 

Manager Trade Services 

Robert Windsor 

r.windsor@bifa.org 

Editorial Co-ordinator 

Sharon Hammond 

s.hammond@bifa.org 

Administration Controller 

Jane Robinson 

j.robinson@bifa.org 

Published by 

Park Lane Publishing 

peter@parklanepublishingltd.com 

Contributors 

Peter Quantrill, Robert Keen, John 

O’Connell, Sharon Hammond, Sue Muir, 


Regional Representatives 

Alph Forrest - alphf@btinternet.com 

Scotland 

Paul Young 

youngyes@aol.com 

North West, Midlands & Northern Ireland 

Geoff Stark 

grstark@grstark.karoo.co.uk 

North East (Humber, West Yorkshire) 

Colin Young 

young_colin@talk21.com 

South (London West, Solent, SW England & 

S Wales) 

Nigel Peall – nigel.peall@btinternet.com 

South East (London East, Dover, Felixstowe, 

Rochester) 

Subscription rates: UK £36 

Rest of the World £48 

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. 

The authors will not accept liability 

for any losses suffered as the result of having 

acted on the guidance and assistance provided 

if such professional advice has not 

been sought. 

Avoiding a double dip 

As I write, the mainstream media is full of conflicting opinions about the possibility that the 

world is heading for a double-dip recession. Whilst the condition of much of the global 

economy has been fragile, the freight transport and logistics sector has been experiencing a 

robust return to growth during 2010, particularly in airfreight and containerised seafreight. 

Now, however, various indices indicate that shipping volumes are beginning to soften as trade 

flows begin to slow, and there is clearly a growing concern among the wider freight community 

that the recovery may not be sustained. With the negative consequences that scenario would have 

on the business activities of BIFA members, I am hopeful that the comments made by Dr Jorg 

Kramer, Commerzbank chief economist, are the most accurate. 

Speaking at a recent Intercham luncheon in Hong Kong, he explained why he believes that it 

is highly unlikely that the global economy is heading for a second recession in as many years. 

Alluding to recent financial data coming out of the US, Dr Kramer said that while the risk of a 

double-dip recession has risen, he also thinks that this can, in the end, be avoided, citing that 

statistically, it is extremely unlikely. 

The presentation highlighted that in post-war history there has only ever been one double-dip 

recession – following the second oil price crisis in 1979, when the US economy fell into recession 

in 1980 and recovered after just one year, only to fall back into recession six months later. 

Economists have concluded that the reason for the double dip in the 1980s, however, came as a 

result of the US Central Bank doubling short-term interest rates from 9% to 18%. That scenario 

seems unlikely to reoccur, and we should all hope that is the case. 

In this issue 

Notwithstanding the state of the world economy and global trade, once again this issue of 

BIFAlink carries a number of articles which serve to emphasise the many and varied issues 

affecting members businesses. 

On page 24, you will find an article which asks whether in the immediate post-liner shipping 

conference world there is a growing appetite for tighter controls of the maritime sector. 

Several recent editions of BIFAlink have carried articles about trading with Iran and your 

attention is drawn to the latest of these on page 8, which explains the tough new EU sanctions on 

Iran. 

The potential impact of The Bribery Act features in an article on page 22 in which we urge 

members to undertake a review of their internal policies and procedures to ensure they will be 

compliant with the Act, which comes into force in April 2011. 

I would also urge members to read the article on page 10 about FIATA documents. One of the 

benefits of BIFA membership is the access to a range of internationally accepted uniform 

transport documents, which are only available for the exclusive use of BIFA trading member 

companies and provide a standard recognised worldwide by other forwarders, banks and insurance 

companies. 

This edition also brings a nine-page review of some of the many and varied issues covered by 

BIFAlink over the course of its 20-year history. 

To end, October will see the finalists of this year’s BIFA Freight Service Awards being chosen 

with those nominated being judged in November and announced at the BIFA Awards Ceremony 

Luncheon on Thursday 20 January 2011. Do make a note of the date in your diary. ■ 

October 2010 3

PETER QUANTRILL’S COLUMN 

DIRECTOR 

GENERAL 

BIFAlink is the official magazine of the 

British International Freight Association 

Redfern House, Browells Lane, Feltham 

TW13 7EP Tel: 020 8844 2266 

Fax: 020 8890 5546 

Web site: www.bifa.org 

E-mail: bifa@bifa.org 

A company limited by guarantee. 

Registered in England: 391973. 

VAT Registration: 216476363 

Director General 


p.quantrill@bifa.org 

Executive Director 

Robert Keen 

r.keen@bifa.org 

Director Trade Services 

John O’Connell 

j.oconnell@bifa.org 

Manager Trade Services 


r.windsor@bifa.org 

Editorial Co-ordinator 

Sharon Hammond 

s.hammond@bifa.org 

Administration Controller 

Jane Robinson 

j.robinson@bifa.org 

Published by 

Park Lane Publishing 

peter@parklanepublishingltd.com 

Contributors 

Peter Quantrill, Robert Keen, John 

O’Connell, Sharon Hammond, Sue Muir, 


Regional Representatives 

Alph Forrest - alphf@btinternet.com 

Scotland 

Paul Young 

youngyes@aol.com 

North West, Midlands & Northern Ireland 

Geoff Stark 

grstark@grstark.karoo.co.uk 

North East (Humber, West Yorkshire) 

Colin Young 

young_colin@talk21.com 

South (London West, Solent, SW England & 

S Wales) 

Nigel Peall – nigel.peall@btinternet.com 

South East (London East, Dover, Felixstowe, 

Rochester) 

Subscription rates: UK £36 

Rest of the World £48 

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. 

The authors will not accept liability 

for any losses suffered as the result of having 

acted on the guidance and assistance provided 

if such professional advice has not 

been sought. 

Avoiding a double dip 

As I write, the mainstream media is full of conflicting opinions about the possibility that the 

world is heading for a double-dip recession. Whilst the condition of much of the global 

economy has been fragile, the freight transport and logistics sector has been experiencing a 

robust return to growth during 2010, particularly in airfreight and containerised seafreight. 

Now, however, various indices indicate that shipping volumes are beginning to soften as trade 

flows begin to slow, and there is clearly a growing concern among the wider freight community 

that the recovery may not be sustained. With the negative consequences that scenario would have 

on the business activities of BIFA members, I am hopeful that the comments made by Dr Jorg 

Kramer, Commerzbank chief economist, are the most accurate. 

Speaking at a recent Intercham luncheon in Hong Kong, he explained why he believes that it 

is highly unlikely that the global economy is heading for a second recession in as many years. 

Alluding to recent financial data coming out of the US, Dr Kramer said that while the risk of a 

double-dip recession has risen, he also thinks that this can, in the end, be avoided, citing that 

statistically, it is extremely unlikely. 

The presentation highlighted that in post-war history there has only ever been one double-dip 

recession – following the second oil price crisis in 1979, when the US economy fell into recession 

in 1980 and recovered after just one year, only to fall back into recession six months later. 

Economists have concluded that the reason for the double dip in the 1980s, however, came as a 

result of the US Central Bank doubling short-term interest rates from 9% to 18%. That scenario 

seems unlikely to reoccur, and we should all hope that is the case. 

In this issue 

Notwithstanding the state of the world economy and global trade, once again this issue of 

BIFAlink carries a number of articles which serve to emphasise the many and varied issues 

affecting members businesses. 

On page 24, you will find an article which asks whether in the immediate post-liner shipping 

conference world there is a growing appetite for tighter controls of the maritime sector. 

Several recent editions of BIFAlink have carried articles about trading with Iran and your 

attention is drawn to the latest of these on page 8, which explains the tough new EU sanctions on 

Iran. 

The potential impact of The Bribery Act features in an article on page 22 in which we urge 

members to undertake a review of their internal policies and procedures to ensure they will be 

compliant with the Act, which comes into force in April 2011. 

I would also urge members to read the article on page 10 about FIATA documents. One of the 

benefits of BIFA membership is the access to a range of internationally accepted uniform 

transport documents, which are only available for the exclusive use of BIFA trading member 

companies and provide a standard recognised worldwide by other forwarders, banks and insurance 

companies. 

This edition also brings a nine-page review of some of the many and varied issues covered by 

BIFAlink over the course of its 20-year history. 

To end, October will see the finalists of this year’s BIFA Freight Service Awards being chosen 

with those nominated being judged in November and announced at the BIFA Awards Ceremony 

Luncheon on Thursday 20 January 2011. Do make a note of the date in your diary. ■ 

October 2010 3

Matt Beech, Commercial and IT Director – Maltacourt 

International Shipping and Freight Forwarding Agents 

From desktop to destination 

 

 

www.boxtop.net/study 

BoxTop – the team to trust

newsdesk 

www.bifa.org 

Ian Matheson, from Impress Communications, reviews some recent news that might impact on members’ business 

Currency fluctuations 

alarm UK exporters 

UK exporters are seeing the 

current volatility of the pound 

affecting their confidence, 

according to a survey by 

Travelex Global Business 

Payments. While optimism 

within the sector is otherwise 

growing, currency market 

fluctuations are damaging 

sentiment. 

Meanwhile, the Chartered 

Institute of Logistics and 

Transport in the UK has said 

that business linked to the 

manufacturing industry is 

expected to continue 

growing over the coming 

months, explaining that the 

freight field is busy when 

activity and productivity levels 

are high, while these 

measures fall when the 

economy is weak. 

The British Chambers of 

Commerce (BCC) has called 

for the government to 

preserve spending 

commitments to capital 

projects for the UK’s road and 

rail infrastructure when budget 

cuts are announced. 

One such project is the vital 

upgrade of the M9 Junction 

1a – a vital element of the Forth 

Replacement Crossing scheme 

for which four tenderers, 

comprising seven major 

construction firms, are set to 

compete. 

Freight traffic at major ports 

in the UK declined over the 12 

months to June 2010, official 

figures from the Office for 

National Statistics reveal, with 

falls seen in both inward traffic 

and outward traffic, by 6% and 

3% respectively. 

However, the port of Liverpool’s 

Royal Seaforth container 

terminal will have 5,000 

additional ground slots in use 

by the end of October, with 

expansion coming on the back 

of strong growth, and an 

immediate pay-off from the 

recent £1.1m investment in 

cutting edge operational IT, 

which has led to a 30% 

improvement in vehicle 

turnaround times. 

Dame Vera Lynn has added 

her voice to the debate 

surrounding the future 

ownership of the port of 

Dover with the government 

considering various plans, 

including an option that could 

see one of the UK’s most 

important gateways taken over 

by an organisation that controls 

the port of Calais. Quoted in the 

Sun, Dame Vera said: “I don’t 

fancy anyone apart from the 

British having a say over how 

Dover is managed.” 

The European Commission has 

adopted new EU rules to 

“name and shame” shipping 

companies that are performing 

poorly on vital safety 

inspections. The rules will 

introduce an online register on 

January 1, 2011, to increase 

and improve the safety 

performance of ships through 

more accurate checks, the 

commission said. The register 

will also put poor performers in 

the spotlight so that with 

tougher inspection regimes 

and public pressure there is 

every incentive for them to raise 

their game rather than face a 

ban from EU waters. 

Meanwhile, speaking at the 

World Economic Forum in 

Tianjin, China, the chief 

executive of COSCO is 

reported to have said that 

many shipping lines had 

walked away from their 

commitments during the 

recent downturn. 

In the airfreight sector, recent 

news from a US passenger-tofreighter 

aircraft conversion 

company appears to further 

confirm global economic 

recovery. Aeronautical Engineers 

Inc, based in Miami, reported 

that during the third quarter of 

this year it had redelivered four 

B737SF conversions to 

customers in Europe, Turkey, 

South America and Asia. 

Meanwhile air cargo shippers 

and forwarders say the industry 

still has a long way to go in 

screening shipments after 

meeting a government 

mandate to screen 100% of all 

cargo on US passenger aircraft 

by 1 August, according to a 

report in The Journal of 

Commerce. Industry shipping 

executives say they fear the 

growing demand during the 

autumn shipping season will 

press the limits of screening 

capabilities in coming months, 

including the ability to keep up 

this brisk screening pace 

integral to the time-sensitive 

nature of most air shipments. 

On the railways, a bridge is 

being knocked down in Oxford 

and replaced with a new one 

so that more freight from the 

south can be transported on 

the line underneath it as part of 

a £71m scheme to improve 

the rail line between 

Southampton and Nuneaton, 

via Reading, Didcot, Oxford 

and Banbury. Work will begin in 

November and is expected to 

be completed by March 2011. 

Business Secretary Vince 

Cable has welcomed the 

appointment of Stephen 

Green as Minister for Trade, 

saying that it sends a strong 

signal to trading partners that 

the government views the 

promotion of trade and 

investment as a priority. Mr 

Green was the chairman of 

HSBC and deputy president of 

the Confederation of British 

Industry. He will take up his 

new role in January. ■ 

6 October 2010

www.bifa.org 

newsdesk 

Belgium tightens up 

load security checks 

We have recently become 

aware that Belgian authorities 

are taking a tougher policy on 

load security and there are now 

stricter regulations being 

applied to British vehicles 

transiting the country. 

At any Belgian roadside 

check, a driver should be able 

to present documentation 

detailing the type of cargo, the 

weight, and the type of pallets 

used. 

Operators are also obliged 

to confirm safe packaging and 

that the load can remain stable, 

even when tilted to an angle of 

26 degrees. Police have the 

power to stop vehicles and 

order the driver to reload or 

unload part of the cargo in 

BIFA is working with 

representatives from HMRC to 

bring a programme of Import 

Control System (ICS) seminars 

to your area in the autumn. 

The forthcoming 

introduction of ICS was 

covered in BIFAlink (May 2010) 

and again in this issue. 

Additionally, a 42-page 

guidance note from HMRC is 

available to download from the 

Traffic in Antwerp 

order to comply with the new 

requirements. 

To some extent this is no 

more than normal practice for 

many hauliers and shippers. 

However, it is clear that those 

who cannot provide freight 

BIFA website at 

http://www.bifa.org/_Attachmen 

ts/Resources/1050_S4.pdf 

details as above may be 

exposing themselves to greater 

risk of delays and/or fines than 

in the past. 

It should be noted that 

Germany and the Netherlands 

have introduced the concept of 

Consignor Liability. While at 

first it may seem that hauliers 

are better protected than in the 

past, the protection works both 

ways. It is now becoming more 

common to have to provide 

load securing that suits the 

consignor as well as the driver. 

BIFA is hearing of more 

cases in Germany and Benelux 

where the driver will not be 

allowed to depart without the 

load being secured to the 

consignor’s satisfaction. ■ 

Import Control System seminars 

Seminars are planned for the following venues: 

Venue Date Contact 

Purfleet Tuesday 5 October Nigel Peall 

Felixstowe Thursday 7 October Nigel Peall 

(nigel.peall@btinternet.com) 

To reserve your place on 

any of the above, please e-mail 

the named contact. ■ 

Reserve your copy 

of Incoterms 2010 

A new edition 

of Incoterms 

will be 

published 

later this year 

with effect 

from 

1 January 

2011. BIFA 

will as usual 

be carrying 

a stock of this book and if 

you would like to reserve a 

copy please let us know 

now. 

For further information on 

Incoterms 2010 there is an 

article on page 9 of this 

edition of BIFAlink. 

The price of the new 

Incoterms book will be 

£48.00 (incl P&P). To reserve 

a copy, please contact 

Marion Fisher at BIFA by 

e-mail at: m.fisher@bifa.org ■ 

Don’t keep it to 

yourself 

Remember to circulate 

BIFAlink to your colleagues. 

Not your copy of BIFAlink? – 

register for your own copy by 

contacting Jane Robinson in 

membership 

(j.robinson@bifa.org). 

BIFAlink is free to BIFA 

member companies or 

available by subscription to 

non-members. ■ 

The Limits of Liability for Carriers 

Sponsored by 

By sea – Hague Visby rules: 

£1.97 per kg 

£656.09 per package 

By road – CMR: 

£8.20 per kg 

By air – Warsaw/Montreal Convention 

£16.73 per kg 

+44 (0) 1628 532 613 www.peter-lole.co.uk 

BIFA STC: £1.97 per kg 

(The SDR rate on 13 September 2010, 

according to the IMF website, was 0.984126) 

October 2010 7

tradeservices 

www.bifa.org 

A US Coast 

Guard 

boarding 

team in the 

Arabian Gulf 

Incoterms 2010: 

the major changes 

BIFAlink takes an in-depth look at the latest edition of 

Incoterms, in which there appear to be no major issues 

to concern freight forwarders 

More restrictions 

on trade with Iran 

In recent editions of BIFAlink we have provided 

members with information about trading with Iran and 

the sanctions that have been imposed by the USA in 

the past couple of years. This has been highlighted 

recently with an extradition hearing in London for an 

individual to face trial in the USA for breaching Iranian 

sanctions. 

On 27 July 2010, the EU imposed its toughest 

sanctions regime yet on Iran, with ramifications for 

several key areas. These include insurance, export/ 

import restrictions, energy, finance, travel, education 

and transport bans. 

The EU sanctions are considerably broader and 

more stringent than those imposed by the UN, which 

were focused on preventing the sale and supply of 

goods used in nuclear production and missile 

development to Iran. As well as the above sectors, the 

new EU sanctions also aim at entities connected with 

the Iranian government. The sanctions are applicable 

to all EU member states. 

The scope of the new EU sanctions represents a 

significant change to the previous regime, and 

caution and care should be exercised by clients when 

dealing with any matter that has the potential to be 

linked to Iran. In the UK, regulations made under the 

European Communities Act 1972 give effect to EU 

sanctions. The 2007 Iran (European Community 

Financial Sanctions) Regulations (SI 2007/1374) 

create criminal penalties for violations of EU 

sanctions. It is likely that new laws will be passed in 

the UK that will give effect to the criminal aspects of 

the council decision. 

More comprehensive information can be found on 

the BIFA website, www.bifa.org, where an article by 

Associate BIFA member solicitors Clyde & Co is 

published. The item is located in the Industry News 

area. 

Members should also read the Notice to Exporters 

2010/21 issued by the Department of Business, 

Innovation and Skills, which provides explanations 

and frequently asked questions on the subject. ■ 

Incoterms are a series of sales 

terms, published by the 

International Chamber of 

Commerce (ICC) for use in 

international commercial 

transactions. The first edition was 

published in 1936 and the current 

version is Incoterms 2000. Incoterms 

are reviewed approximately every 10 

years to ensure that they relate to 

current world trade practices. 

A new edition, Incoterms 2010, 

will be effective from 1 January 

2011, and pre-publication orders are 

being taken by BIFA. If you wish to 

reserve a copy, please contact 

Marion Fisher (m.fisher@bifa.org). 

The cost is £48 including postage 

and packaging. 

The revision process began at the 

start of 2008 since when the drafting 

group has met regularly to consider 

over 150 pages of line-by-line 

comments from 25 national 

committees of the ICC. BIFA has 

been a regular contributor to 

Incoterms meetings held by the ICC 

in London, and we have studied and 

reacted to proposed changes as each 

draft has been published. We have 

also contributed to the 

representations made by FIATA. 

So what is new? 

Incoterms are to be divided into 

two, instead of the previous four, 

categories, as follows: 

● Terms for any Mode or Modes of 

Transport 

● Terms for Sea and Inland 

Waterway Transport. 

This is intended to further assist 

Incoterms users in identifying the 

correct term for their particular 

requirements. 

There is a reduction from the 

existing 13 Incoterms to 11. DAF, 

DES, DEQ and DDU have been 

deleted, and two new Incoterms, 

DAT and DAP, have been introduced. 

Terms for any Mode or Modes of 

Transport will include the new 

terms and comprise: CIP, CPT, 

DAP, DAT, DDP, EXW and FCA. 

Terms for Sea and Inland Waterway 

Transport consist of CFR, CIF, 

FAS and FOB 

Other features included in the 

new edition of Incoterms: 

● Extensive guidance notes and 

illustrative graphics to help users 

efficiently choose the right rule 

for each transaction; 

● New classification to help in 

choosing the most suitable rule in 

relation to the mode of transport; 

● Advice for the use of electronic 

procedures; 

● Information on security-related 

clearances for shipments; 

● Advice for the use of Incoterms 

2010 in domestic (intra EU) 

trade. 

New Incoterms 

Incoterms 2000 DAF, DES, DEQ 

and DDU terms, which contained 

significant areas of overlap, have 

been replaced by two new terms, 

DAT and DAP 

DAT 

‘Delivered at Terminal’ means that 

the seller delivers when the goods, 

once unloaded from the arriving 

means of transport, are placed at the 

disposal of the buyer at a named 

terminal at the named port or place 

of destination. 

‘Terminal’ includes any place, 

whether covered or not, such as a 

quay, warehouse, container yard or 

road, rail or air cargo terminal. The 

seller bears all risks involved in 

8 October 2010

www.bifa.org 

tradeservices 

bringing the goods to, and unloading 

them at, the terminal at the named 

port or place of destination. 

The parties are well advised to 

specify as clearly as possible the 

terminal and, if possible, a specific 

point within the terminal at the 

agreed port or place of destination, 

as the risks to that point are for the 

account of the seller. The seller is 

advised to procure a contract of 

carriage that matches this choice 

precisely. 

Moreover, if the parties intend 

the seller to bear the risks and costs 

involved in transporting and 

handling the goods from the 

terminal to another place, then the 

DAP or DDP rules should be used. 

DAT requires the seller to clear 

the goods for export, where 

applicable. 

However, the seller has no 

obligation to clear the goods for 

import, pay any import duty or carry 

out any import customs formalities. 

DAP 

‘Delivered at Place’ means that the 

seller delivers when the goods are 

placed at the disposal of the buyer 

on the arriving means of transport 

‘Delivered at 

Terminal’ means 

that the seller 

delivers when the 

goods, once 

unloaded from the 

arriving means of 

transport, are 

placed at the 

disposal of the 

buyer at a named 

terminal at the 

named port or 

place of destination 

ready for unloading at the named 

place of destination. The seller bears 

all risks involved in bringing the 

goods to the named place. 

The parties are well advised to 

specify as clearly as possible the 

point within the agreed place of destination, 

as the risks to that point are 

for the account of the seller. The 

seller is advised to procure contracts 

of carriage that match this choice 

precisely. If the seller incurs costs 

under its contract of carriage related 

to unloading at the place of destination, 

the seller is not entitled to 

recover such costs from the buyer 

unless otherwise agreed between 

the parties. 

DAP requires the seller to clear 

the goods for export, where applicable. 

However, the seller has no obligation 

to clear the goods for import, 

pay any import duty, or carry out any 

import customs formalities. If the 

parties wish the seller to clear the 

goods for import, pay any import 

duty and carry out any import customs 

formalities, the DDP term 

should be used. 

Conclusions 

There are probably no major issues for 

freight forwarders in Incoterms 2010, 

although with Ex Works, FOB and 

CIF it is likely that shippers will keep 

their traditional meanings and adapt 

them for air carriage and container 

shipping. The ICC is aware that there 

needs to be a major educational programme 

to educate traders. ■ 

BIFA members can purchase a 

copy of Incoterms 2010 from 

BIFA. Please contact Marion 

Fisher (m.fisher@bifa.org). The 

cost is £48 including P&P. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2010 9

tradeservices 

www.bifa.org 

Using FIATA Documents 

A guide to FIATA’s internationally accepted transport documents 

One of the benefits of BIFA 

membership is the access to a 

range of internationally 

accepted uniform transport 

documents. These may be 

purchased from the association or 

printed under a licence issued by 

BIFA in return for an annual fee. 

The current prices can be found 

on the BIFA website. Our 

publications order form can be found 

under the INFORMATION tab. 

The documents supplied by 

BIFA include: 

● FIATA Multimodal Bill of 

Lading (FBL), 

● FIATA Multimodal Transport 

Waybill (FWB), 

● FIATA Forwarders’ Certificate of 

Receipt (FCR). 

These documents are only 

available for the exclusive use of 

BIFA trading member companies. 

They provide a standard recognised 

worldwide by other forwarders, 

banks and insurance companies. 

Your liability insurance should 

cover the issue of FIATA 

documents and BIFA is obliged to 

see evidence of cover before 

processing any orders. 

The FIATA Multimodal Bill 

of Lading (FBL) 

This document can fulfil a number 

of functions. As a negotiable 

document of title it meets the 

criteria in the International Chamber 

of Commerce (ICC) Uniform 

Custom and Practice for 

documentary credits (UCP 600) as a 

marine ocean bill of lading. 

Additionally, it can be used for 

multimodal transport movements 

and as a forwarder’s house bill of 

lading. 

FIATA Multimodal 

Transport Waybill (FWB) 

Letters of credit more frequently 

nominate waybills as an alternative 

to an ocean bill of lading or other 

carriage document. This 

requirement is met by the FWB. In 

addition, members who operate 

NVOC, groupage or consolidation 

services will find this a useful 

control document as an alternative 

to a house bill of lading. This 

applies, in particular, when there is 

no requirement for banking 

purposes. 

As with the FBL, this document 

can be purchased with a unique 

reference number or sold under 

licence, and it is subject to the same 

restrictions on the FBL. A single 

FIATA licence will cover the issue 

of both the FBL and the FWB. 

FIATA Forwarders 

Certificate of Receipt 

(FCR) 

Although not so widely used, the 

FCR is occasionally called for in the 

case of ex-works or FOB/FCA 

shipments, and can be a useful 

addition to the forwarder’s range of 

documents. 

“It is a condition of both FIATA 

and BIFA membership that an FCR 

form cannot be used for shipments 

of steel and any such use could 

invalidate liability insurance cover.” 

All FIATA documents are issued 

according to strict controls on 

format, layout and colour. BIFA’s 

own licence agreement with FIATA 

does not allow us to deviate from 

these prescriptions. ■ 

To place an order for the above 

documents please e-mail Marion 

Fisher m.fisher@bifa.org 

10 October 2010

www.bifa.org 

20thanniversary 

Surfing a 

20-year wave 

BIFAlink has reached its 20th anniversary. Here we look back at how it has developed – and the varied, 

and often recurring, issues it has covered 

No magazine, especially one 

aimed at a busy business-tobusiness 

market, has the 

luxury of guaranteeing an avid 

readership, and any trade title worth 

its salt, particularly if it is the voice 

of an industry association, has to be 

compelling, pragmatic, relevant and 

authoritative. 

For the past 20 years BIFAlink 

has sought to fulfil the necessary 

criteria, reflecting the evolving 

forwarding industry at large and 

engaging with the reader to 

underpin the vital role that BIFA 

has played in four key areas: 

campaigning for change and 

facilitation; preparing the industry 

for new initiatives, legislation or 

procedures; offering guidance to the 

membership on an array of general 

issues of interest; and the 

widespread promotion of the 

forwarding industry. 

Under four director-generals – 

Jim White, Ted Sangster, Colin 

Beaumont and Peter Quantrill – and 

with a look that has graduated from 

a newsletter-type format to the 

smart appearance today, BIFAlink 

has been the hub of landmark 

developments in the industry. 

There are recurring themes over 

October 2010 11


www.bifa.org 

the years and, interestingly, 

concerns raised in the very first issue 

in September 1990 included a 

Middle East crisis with sanctions 

and US proposals for the bonding of 

NVOCCs, along with tariff filing. In 

a similar vein, recent issues of 

BIFAlink have highlighted sanctions 

against Iran and Federal Maritime 

Commission (FMC) proposals to 

exempt US-licensed NVOCCs from 

publishing tariffs, which threaten to 

give US operators the edge through 

the extension of confidentiality 

contracts. 

The potential impacts of many of 

the issues raised in 1990 are far from 

comparable to those today, however. 

The future facing freight forwarders 

then was one of unprecedented 

change. The single market was still 

more than two years away, but BIFA 

members had to prepare for 

cataclysmic measures in a Europe 

largely without barriers, and with 

intra-European traffic no longer 

subject to frontier controls. 

Adapting to change 

That, in 1990, portended the ending 

of a key revenue stream for freight 

forwarders heavily reliant on 

customs processing fees and, as the 

pages of BIFAlink report, there were 

fears that as many as 3,000 customs 

brokers could lose their jobs. BIFA 

was instrumental in securing 

European Social Fund assistance for 

the industry, but in the event, the 

British forwarding industry did what 

it has always done: adapted to 

change, assumed more of the role of 

carrier, and less of mere agent – and 

survived. 

In terms of preparing the 

industry for new initiatives, 

legislation or procedures, customs 

requirements and freight forwarding 

have been inextricable, and over the 

years BIFAlink has guided readers 

through a plethora of watersheds. 

The muster-roll includes the 

introduction of the central customs 

processor CHIEF, SAD 

Harmonisation, the Immigration, 

Asylum & Nationality Act, the closure 

of Entry Processing Units (EPUs) 

and setting up the centralised 

National Clearance Hub (NCH) in 

Salford, the New Computerised 

Transit System (NCTS), and the illfated 

Customs Freight Business 

Review and CF 2000. These aired 

❝Today’s 

forwarders 

rely on 

BIFAlink to 

help them 

address 

unfolding 

customs 

requirements 

such as the 

Modernised 

Customs 

Code 

expected in 

2013, the 

Import 

Control 

System, and 

in providing 

the 

information 

enabling 

them to take 

an informed 

decision 

about 

whether to 

become an 

Authorised 

Economic 

Operator 

❞ 

Jim White 

Colin Beaumont 

many of the new ideas, such as 

control related to risk and reducing 

emphasis on transactional border 

control, since taken forward through 

developments such as the Common 

Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). 

More recent issues into which 

BIFAlink has provided welcome 

insight include the National Export 

System (NES), the merits of 

adopting a Unique Consignment 

Reference (UCR), the Customs 

Blueprint, and changes in controls 

for Excise Goods with the 

replacement of the REDS 

programme. 

Today’s forwarders rely on 

BIFAlink to help them address 

unfolding customs requirements 

such as the Modernised Customs 

Code (MCC) expected in 2013, the 

Import Control System (ICS), and in 

providing the information enabling 

Ted Sangster 


them to take an informed decision 

about whether to become an 

Authorised Economic Operator 

(AEO) or not. 

To some extent, the issues of the 

MCC and AEO are linked. Within 

the MMC framework it is expected 

that many forwarders will be 

required to support customs 

authorities with a competent 

response in a more secure supply 

chain, and AEO accreditation could 

now well serve as the fast-track 

recognition for emerging initiatives 

and customs procedures, pointed out 

BIFAlink earlier this year. 

This is no time for sitting on 

laurels and the journal has also 

warned that the ease of facilitation 

and national simplifications that the 

UK has traditionally enjoyed may 

not be preserved under the MCC. 

Increasingly, initiatives for change 

12 October 2010

www.bifa.org 


In 1990 BIFA members had to prepare for cataclysmic measures in Europe BIFAlink redesigns in 1992, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2009 

Credit © European Union, 2010 

emanate from Brussels, along with a 

need to adopt systems and 

procedures that can be aligned with 

many levels of sophistication and 

flexibility in the operating patterns 

in various member states. No doubt 

MCC will provide plenty for 

BIFAlink to reflect on over the 

coming months and years! 

Security has frequently occupied 

BIFAlink pages in preparing the 

industry for new initiatives or 

change. In 1990, the industry had to 

come to terms with legislation in 

response to that fateful night in 1988 

when PanAm’s flight 103 crashed on 

the Scottish town of Lockerbie as a 

result of a terrorist bomb, killing 270 

passengers, crew and citizens of the 

town, and exposing a vulnerability in 

air transport. 

Readers soon realised that life 

would never be the same again for 

those companies charged with 

administration and handling of 

airfreight, and measures to ensure 

the integrity of cargo were soon 

demanded. There were fears that 

having to X-ray freight could cause a 

supply chain snag. However, thanks 

to some outstanding industry cooperation, 

not every piece of freight 

needed to go through such rigours. 

It is no small testament to BIFA 

members’ co-operation with 

government agencies that, in the 

wake of this disaster, they pioneered 

the Listed Agent and Known 

Shipper concepts in the Aviation & 

Maritime Security Act, many aspects of 

which have since been incorporated 

into the EU’s latest legislation. 

Another aspect of aviation 

security has been prevention of theft 

and, as forwarders play a fulcrum 

role in maintaining the integrity of 

The BIFA logo now 

(below) and then 

(top) 

the supply chain, it was natural that 

the Metropolitan Police’s Operation 

Grafton, which sought to tighten up 

on crime in the Heathrow area, 

should seek discussions with the 

industry. This approach paid off, 

contributing to an impressive 75% 

drop in crime within one year, 

reported BIFAlink, and by the end 

of 2006, the initiative’s Air Industry 

Minimum Security Standards 

(AIMSS) covered 130 companies. 

Just as the Lockerbie terrorist act 

changed the airfreight industry, so 

9/11 in 2001 impacted on all freight 

modes. The past nine years have 

seen members looking to BIFAlink 

for further guidance through new 

US requirements such as 24-hour 

advance manifest transmission, the 

Container Security Initiative, 

C-TPAT, 100% container scanning, 

and the ‘10+2’ rules. 

October 2010 13


www.bifa.org 

The Lockerbie terrorist act in 1988 changed the airfreight industry forever 

The concept of General Average was explained relating 

When it comes to the 

campaigning role, BIFAlink 

witnessed strong, long and 

successful BIFA challenges. 

When BIFAlink was launched, 

the forthcoming new opportunities 

of the Channel Tunnel for linking 

inland points to mainland Europe by 

rail were still to be revealed. As the 

publication progressed towards the 

celebrated opening in 1994, so 

anticipation gathered pace and 

BIFAlink reported that the 

pre-privatisation Railfreight 

Distribution had committed not to 

get involved in groupage operations 

– manna from heaven! 

However, hopes were dashed 

when the Channel Tunnel’s security 

regime introduced some unpalatable 

concepts in the Security Approved 

Channel Tunnel Freight Forwarders 

(SACTFF) scheme, including the 

liability issue, which saw BIFA 

advising its members not to seek 

accreditation – not the best of starts 

for a brave new modal option. Thus, 

began a long campaign to achieve 

something that offered real benefits 

to a forwarding operation. 

Under the auspices of BIFA, the 

Alliance for Channel Tunnel 

Railfreight (ACTR) was established 

to steer a path around the obstacles 

of the security regime and the 

requirement that non-SACTFF 

forwarders adhered to a 20-hour 

booking period hardly conducive to 

just-in-time operations. 

Campaigning 

BIFA’s campaigning called for a 

security review and an analysis was 

ordered by the Secretary of State for 

Transport at the time, George 

Young. BIFAlink reported successful 

dialogue with the Department of 

Transport’s security arm, Transec, 

and in 1996 a new system for 

Channel Tunnel security emerged, 

based on a code of practice and 

“approved freight service operators”, 

but the issue was later eclipsed by 

illegal stowaways or asylum seekers 

with widespread disruption of the 

system. Can many freight forwarders 

yet claim – use of the successful 

lorry shuttle apart – to have 

capitalised on the brand new rail 

mode offered by the Channel 

Tunnel? 

A determined campaign was 

launched in response to the 

European Insurance Mediation 

Directive, which, when interpreted 

by the UK’s Financial Services 

❝A determined 

campaign 

was 

launched in 

response to 

the European 

Insurance 

Mediation 

Directive 

❞ 

Authority (FSA), led to British 

forwarders being required to 

undertake the cumbersome, 

bureaucratic and expensive exercise 

of registering in order to continue 

extending insurance policies to their 

clients from 2005. The FSA seemed 

oblivious to the fact that competing 

European members states did not 

ask the same of their forwarders. 

Only 7% of members registered 

with the FSA and minimum 

premiums for customers increased as 

a result of bureaucracy. It took two 

years of BIFA’s lobbying of 

Treasury and the FSA before 

agreement was reached that 

registration requirements could be 

dropped – and a great sigh of relief 

was audible over Redfern House 

when BIFAlink reported in March 

2009 that the final barriers had been 

removed. 

There have been other key 

battlegrounds, not least, and for 

good reason, IATA’s Cargo Accounts 

Settlement System (CASS) to try to 

ensure that forwarders get a fair 

deal. This issue has featured on the 

pages of BIFAlink from the earliest 

issues and is now also being 

championed by FIATA’s Air Freight 

Institute. As partners of the airlines, 

14 October 2010

www.bifa.org 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

to insurance claims following the beaching of MSC Napoli off Devon early in 2007 

 

 

 

forwarders are being routinely 

subjected to threatening 

demands from CASS for bank 

guarantees when they so much 

as step over their credit limits, 

even though they are providing 

carriers with increased revenues 

that continue to be paid in strict 

accordance with the payment 

terms dictated by the 

programme. 

BIFA resistance 

BIFA also mounted resistance 

to potential changes to the 

IATA volume/weight ratio for 

low density air cargo that 

resulted in plans to implement a 

5,000 cu cm/1 kg (instead of 

6,000 cu cm/1 kg), being 

dropped in 2005. 

One of the mainstays for the 

industry has been the legal 

framework under which freight 

forwarders carry out their daily 

activities and how they react 

with their customers and 

suppliers. 

In the mainstream press this 

rarely qualifies as ‘sexy’ – unless 

something goes horribly wrong 

– but reporting has been a 

necessity that BIFAlink has not 

shirked from. This has meant 

monitoring and advising on 

changes to Incoterms, which 

mark out the various stages of 

sellers’ obligations along the 

international transport chain, 

and Uniform Customs & 

Practice (UCP) for documentary 

credits, with its guidelines on 

securing funds for international 

trade transactions. Allied to this 

has been the status 

development of transport 

contract documents such as the 

FIATA Multimodal Transport 

Bill of Lading. 

Indeed, membership of the 

various committees of the global 

forwarding trade association 

FIATA has enabled BIFA to 

contribute to, and influence, a 

wide range of matters allied to 

supply chains, while in recent 

times membership of the 

European forwarders association 

CLECAT has provided 

invaluable influence in Brussels. 

The bedrock for freight 

forwarders in their contractual 

arrangements with customers 

are BIFA’s Standard Trading 

Conditions, which are tried and 

tested in the courts. They are 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 2010 15


www.bifa.org 

ADVERTORIAL 

Insurance 

victory was 

‘high point’ 

The battle to de-regulate freight 

forwarders in their cargo insurance 

activities remains the most notable 

BIFAlink coverage to date, according 

to cargo and cargo liability 

broker Peter Bridges, Dartford 

branch director with Bluefin, a BIFA 

associate. 

The company, which incorporates 

a number of brokers, including the 

Davis Group, employs 3,000 people 

in 80 UK offices, and specialises in 

insurance solutions for importers, 

exporters, freight forwarders and 

logistics services operators. 

Cargo insurance business 

through forwarders was decimated 

when FSA registration became a 

necessity in 2005. BIFAlink’s coverage 

kept BIFA’s lobbying at the 

forefront of the industry, which 

meant that the customer base 

could be recovered once FSA 

registration ended. 

An avid reader of BIFAlink since 

its inception, Mr Bridges has 

always appreciated articles 

centred on the incorporation of 

trading conditions, the role that 

international conventions play in 

overriding those conditions – and 

the impact of common law in 

setting aside those conditions if 

not correctly instituted. Bluefin 

would be keen to make an input to 

future articles on such subjects. 

“We have to provide a lifeline for 

the membership where their business 

could be under threat if we 

do not provide them with the 

correct insurance cover to back up 

the international conventions,” said 

Mr Bridges. 

Having such issues aired by 

BIFAlink means that insurers can 

then use the magazine as a reference 

when pointing out changes 

that might impact on insurance 

cover. “It helps to consolidate it,” 

said Mr Bridges. “BIFAlink fulfils 

this role and when it falls on the 

mat, I wonder what is going to be 

in it this month,” he added. 

The 9/11 terrorist attack on New York’s Twin Towers in 2001 impacted on all freight modes 

❝BIFAlink has 

regularly 

updated 

readers on 

the STCs, 

which are a 

prerequisite 

for BIFA 

membership 

❞ 

exclusive to BIFA members and 

cover aspects such as liability of the 

forwarder, compensation and 

importer and exporter 

responsibilities for accuracy of goods 

descriptions, for instance. 

BIFAlink has regularly updated 

readers on the STCs, which are a 

prerequisite for BIFA membership, 

most notably a major re-vamp in 

1999, emerging as the 2000 STCs, 

and in 2004, heralding the 2005 

STCs to reflect changing insurance 

legislation. 

International transport 

Issues raised in connection with 

international transport conventions 

governing each mode could hardly 

be described as scintillating, but 

they do need to be frontline 

coverage for an essential trade 

publication like BIFAlink, which has 

stoically reported on the long road 

towards a revised UN Convention 

on Contracts for the International 

Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly 

by Sea. 

The writing was on the wall in 

1997 when BIFAlink noted US plans 

to update its Carriage of Goods by 

Sea Act (COGSA) to cover door-todoor 

transport involving all entities – 

including freight forwarders. Not 

surprisingly, this multimodal 

approach was followed by proposed 

changes to the International 

Convention with UN draft proposals 

surfacing in 2008 and being adopted 

in 2009 as the Rotterdam Rules. 

Although the new rules have 

been signed by 21 countries, no 

national ratifications have yet taken 

place. It will need 20 such 

ratifications for the Rotterdam Rules 

to enter force. There are, as 

BIFAlink has highlighted, a number 

of shortcomings, not least the fact 

that the rules are considered far too 

complex, create a need for higher 

insurance cover, lack case law, and 

introduce ‘maritime performing 

parties’. In consultation meetings 

with the Department for Transport, 

16 October 2010

we are proud to have been associated with 

20 years of BIFAlink 

advising and providing BIFA members with 

all their required insurance needs 

for more information please contact us 

+44 (0) 1628 532613 

info@peter-lole.co.uk 

Saturn House, Mercury Park, Wycombe Lane, Wooburn Green, Buckinghamshire, HP10 0HH


www.bifa.org 

In 1996 a new system for Channel Tunnel security was based on a code of practice and approved freight operators 

❝BIFA has 

lobbied the 

UK 

government 

not to sign 

the Rotterdm 

Rules 

convention 

❞ 

BIFA has lobbied the UK 

government not to sign the 

convention. 

It is not always possible to take 

such an unequivocal stand. 

Sometimes, BIFAlink can only 

present the facts and leave members 

to decide their own course of action. 

A case in point in the August 2010 

issue was the so-called Maritime 

Data Window initiative of the UK 

Border Agency. 

Following unsuccessful attempts 

by the Home Office to mandate the 

provision of cargo data on the grounds 

of security under the Immigration, 

Asylum and Nationality Act, this 

voluntary alternative, in the absence 

of links between government 

systems, is based on forwarders 

contributing data from their systems 

to the UK Border Agency. The 

decision on whether to co-operate 

remains with individual forwarders. 

Management systems 

Not all guidance from BIFAlink has 

been at the behest of authorities, 

and the forwarding industry itself 

has been in the driving seat of 

change, especially in the case of 

structured quality management 

systems, which were an innovation 

in 1990. 

Early BIFAlink issues show 

forwarders in the vanguard of the 

wave of registration for the BS 5750 

standard and the subsequent ISO 

9000 series. In response to BIFA 

guidelines, which had attracted no 

less than 2,000 enquiries, the first 

successful accreditations were noted 

in 1991 comprising Freelance 

Airfreight, Sovereign International 

Freight, Hay Pollock Airfreight, 

Ferry Freighting, Anglo Peninsular 

Services, P&O Containers UK 

Agency, Cinque Ports Freight 

Services, Uniex Transport, RW 

Freight Services, and BIFA’s oldest 

company member which celebrated 

its 200th anniversary two years later, 

Bahr Behrend. 

Just as some issues are detected 

on the horizon years before they are 

enshrined into legislation, or 

procedures affecting the movement 

of freight, there are events that 

cannot be predicted and on which 

the need for information has to be 

urgently digested and passed on 

through BIFAlink. 

Typical was the prevalence of the 

so-called ‘carousel’ fraud that came 

to light in 2006 with the potential for 

forwarders to get caught up as 

“buffers” in the holding of low 

weight, high value goods such as 

computer chips and mobile phones 

repeatedly transacted over a short 

time and involving VAT evasion. 

This evasion, running into billions of 

pounds of losses, hit the UK 

Treasury with a double whammy: 

not only did the ‘missing trader’ not 

pass back the VAT he had collected 

from subsequent sales, but on 

export, the final UK trader reclaimed 

the VAT he had already paid. 

Improving utilisation 

For expanding cargo, load matching and 

evaluation website ARGOS Cargo System 

(www.argostrt.com), which is about to 

break into the UK market following a 

successful Spanish launch, BIFAlink’s 

value lies in its highlighting of operational 

and commercial challenges. 

Issues such as utilisation of equipment 

and, increasingly, the need to operate 

within environmental constraints, have 

been appreciated by ARGOS, especially 

as overcoming these problems are two of 

the essential facets of the service, which 

has been in development for four years 

ADVERTORIAL 

and follows a €1 million investment by its 

founders – a group of logistics and 

transport professionals. 

ARGOS will be available for trials by UK 

forwarders in October, simultaneous with 

its expansion into France, Germany and 

Italy. For an investment of €150 a month, 

companies will have unlimited access to 

the service, which offers simultaneous 

translation between various languages 

and a quality evaluation facility. 

In creating an awareness of issues, 

BIFAlink becomes a very interesting 

vehicle for ARGOS. “When you read 

about companies that are having 

problems you can see that they need 

solutions,” explained UK director Kerry 

Sidhu. “We have looked at all of the 

problems that companies are 

experiencing and we want to make it 

better for them. Some 30% of vehicles on 

the roads are running empty and if we can 

help companies get return loads, that is 

going to save on carbon emissions,” she 

explained. 

Another benefit in having lines of 

communication through a publication like 

BIFAlink is access to an audience of 

quality as well as quantity. 

“That is important to us,” added Ms 

Sidhu. ■ 

18 October 2010


www.bifa.org 

In another example of provision 

of urgent information, the concept of 

General Average was explained 

relating to insurance claims 

following the beaching of the 

containership MSC Napoli off the 

Devon coast early in 2007. 

Other topical coverage has 

included the forwarding industry’s 

social responsibility in fostering a 

cleaner environment and dealing 

with the export of waste. 

The thorny subject of forwarder 

licensing surfaces from time to time 

and the role and training of the 

Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser has 

featured over the years, as has the 

training relating to the handling of 

dangerous cargo for all the various 

transport modes. 

e-freight 

Paperless trading has also been 

addressed, particularly IATA’s 

e-freight initiative, as has the UK’s 

draft National Policy Statement for 

Ports, with BIFAlink’s concern that 

UK ports need to develop to retain 

their status as main line ports of call, 

especially given the tendency towards 

larger vessels, ‘slow steaming’, and 

rationalisation of port calls. 

During the 20 years, BIFAlink has 

flagged the widening range of 

services that BIFA offers to its 

members, as well as seeking 

exposure for the forwarding industry 

per se through initiatives such as the 

Freight Service Awards. 

One of the prime tools of 

❝Comprehensive 

levels of 

training are 

the lifeblood 

of any 

industry or 

association 

that stands 

the test of 

time, as it 

must attract 

the young, 

with their 

fresh ideas 

and 

approaches. 

❞ 

communication today is the 

Internet. The first reference to the 

BIFA role in developing services is 

found in 1995, with the website 

www.bifa.org launched early in 

1997, progressively updated, and 

enhanced into a dynamic resource 

for both industry and BIFA news, 

but retaining the original links for 

directory-type information and 

published resources. 

BIFAlink has keenly portrayed 

the industry’s professionalism. Its 

pages have witnessed development 

of the Code of Conduct, the 

introduction of the Guide to 

Logistics Agreements in 2006 to 

assist members formulating their 

own customer contracts, and 

changing BIFA membership criteria, 

most recently in 2007, when 

applications from all new companies 

seeking membership were accepted 

only as Probationary Trading 

Members. To advance to Registered 

Trading Member (RTM) status it 

became necessary to demonstrate 

levels of competency and training to 

a BIFA auditor. 

A comprehensive training 

programme for both new entrants and 

those seeking Continuous Professional 

Development (CPD), with an everwidening 

course scope, certainly aids 

professionalism and an in-depth 

understanding of the business. 

BIFAlink highlighted the fact that 

over 1,000 people were trained in 

2004, the same year that BTEC 

approval was gained for some of 

BIFA’s courses. By 2009, delegate 

numbers had reached 2,000. 

Co-operation with the logistics 

sector’s skills council, Skills for 

Logistics, followed with a view to 

new National Occupational 

Standards (NOS) for the industry. 

Training 

Comprehensive levels of training are 

the lifeblood of any industry or 

association that stands the test of 

time, as it must attract the young, 

with their fresh ideas and 

approaches. 

In this respect, BIFAlink reported 

in 1998 the start of the Young 

Freight Forwarder of the Year 

Award, launched at the FIATA 

World Congress in Sydney with the 

aim of recognising and encouraging 

the industry’s new talent. It has 

become a star event on the calendar, 

featuring candidates pre-qualified as 

national award winners going on to 

the global stage. 

As part of a BIFAlink profile this 

year, one of the 2009 UK Young 

Freight Forwarder of the Year 

finalists, James Crosby from Damco, 

told journalist Giles Large of the 

reasoning behind his desire to work 

overseas to further his knowledge. “I 

do not want to become one of those 

people who becomes stale, and this 

industry is changing so much and so 

quickly,” he commented. 

With such zest from the new 

generation, the next 20 years look 

pretty encouraging for BIFAlink. ■ 

20 October 2010

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Bribery Act set to clean up standards 

The Bribery Act comes into force in April next year, with implications for 

all companies that provide ‘hospitality’ for clients. Here Mundays 

Solicitors outlines the key points of the Act, and discusses how 

companies should go about protecting themselves 

The Bribery Bill, which has been 

before parliament in its various 

guises over the last 12 months, 

received royal assent on 8 April 2010 

to become the Bribery Act 2010 (the 

Act). The Ministry of Justice 

announced on 20 July 2010 two key 

dates: 

● September 2010: the launch of a 

consultation on proposed guidance 

on “adequate procedures” 

that commercial organisations 

may put in place as a defence to a 

charge of failing to prevent 

bribery; 

● That the Act will come into force 

in April 2011. 

It is now imperative that businesses 

undertake a review of their 

internal policies and procedures to 

ensure they will be compliant with 

the Act. 

Set out below are details of the 

new offences and some general practical 

considerations. In all cases, it is 

no substitute for taking specific legal 

advice. Mundays will be preparing a 

memorandum for boards of directors 

on the Bribery Act in due course. 

The offences 

Offering to bribe 

Section 1 of the Act relates to 

offences committed by the person 

offering a bribe. A person will be 

guilty of an offence under this section 

if he offers, promises or gives a 

“financial or other advantage” to 

another and either: 

● Intends to induce (or reward) that 

other person to perform improperly 

a “relevant function or activity”; 

or 

● Knows or believes that the 

acceptance of the advantage 

would in itself be improper performance 

of a “relevant function 

or activity”. 

The act does not define “financial 

or other advantage”, although it 

would clearly include cash. It might 

also include what many businesses 

would consider to be normal hospitality. 

In relation to all offences under 

the Act, the legislation is drafted in 

such a way that it is an offence 

whether the offer is made directly or 

via an intermediary. It is also an 

offence to offer (or if the recipient 

directs) payment to a third party. 

Being bribed 

Under section 2 of the Act it is also 

an offence to request, agree to 

receive, or accept a financial or other 

advantage in connection with the 

improper performance of a relevant 

function or activity. 

A relevant function or 

activity 

Under the Act, it does not matter 

where the function or activity is performed 

or whether there is any connection 

to the UK. 

However, in order to be classed 

as a “relevant function or activity”, 

the function or activity must fall into 

one of the following categories: 

● Any function of a public nature; 

● Any activity connected with business; 

● Any activity performed in the 

course of a person’s employment; 

● Any activity performed by, or on 

behalf of, a body of persons (for 

example a company). 

In addition, one of the following 

conditions must apply: 

A) an expectation that the function 

or activity will be carried out in 

good faith; 

B) an expectation that the function 

or activity will be carried out 

impartially; or 

C) the person performing the 

function or activity is in a position of 

trust by virtue of performing it. 

Improper performance 

Improper performance is defined at 

section 4 of the Act as performance 

(or for that matter, non-performance) 

in breach of one of the conditions 

above. 

In the case of condition C, the 

position of trust itself will create 

expectations as to the manner of 

performance of the act or function. 

Improper performance is performance 

in breach of those expectations. 

The standard to be applied is that 

of what a reasonable person in the 

UK might expect of a person performing 

such a function or activity. 

It should be noted that, in the case 

of alleged bribery overseas, any local 

practices or customs will be disregarded 

unless they form part of the 

written law in that jurisdiction. 

Foreign public officials 

There is a further offence relating to 

the bribery of a foreign public official 

under section 6. Whilst similar 

to the general offence under section 

1, the person offering the bribe must 

intend to influence the official in his 

capacity as a public official in order 

to gain business or an advantage in 

business. 

There is no reference to 

“improper performance”; it is sufficient 

to show that the intent was to 

influence the public official in the 

exercise of his public functions. This 

section will be of particular concern 

to international operations, whose 

normal corporate hospitality might 

now be considered an offence. As 

above, local practices or customs will 

be disregarded, except to the extent 

that they are contained within the 

written law of the territory in question. 

Until some actual prosecutions 

occur, it is difficult to advise with a 

degree of certainty what is meant to 

be covered by this legislation and 

what prosecutors will regard as outside 

their scope. 

The corporate offence 

Section 7 of the Act introduces a 

strict liability offence for businesses 

that fail to prevent bribery. A “relevant 

commercial organisation” will 

be guilty of an offence where any 

22 October 2010

www.bifa.org 

legaleagle 

person associated with it commits 

one of the above offences in an 

attempt to gain an advantage for the 

organisation. A “relevant commercial 

organisation” will include any company 

incorporated, or partnership 

formed, in the UK or any company 

or partnership, wherever incorporated 

or formed, which conducts 

business in the UK. 

An associated person will be anyone 

who performs services for, or on 

behalf of, the organisation, in whatever 

capacity. This will include not 

only officers and employees, but also 

agents, associates, contractors and 

subsidiaries. In the case of employees, 

there will be a presumption that 

the individual performs services for 

the organisation. 

The only defence available to an 

organisation under this part is to 

show that it has adequate procedures 

in place designed to prevent 

bribery. 

Territorial scope 

The Act applies to any act in the 

UK, or elsewhere, provided that the 

person concerned has a “close connection” 

to the UK. A “close connection” 

will include any British citizen, 

UK resident or company 

incorporated in the UK. 

The corporate offence under section 

7 will apply regardless of where 

the offence is committed. 

Penalties 

An individual who commits an 

offence can face up to 10 years’ 

imprisonment, a fine, or both. 

A company found guilty of the 

offence of failing to prevent bribery 

under section 7 will face an unlimited 

fine. The company may also 

find itself barred from applying for 

government contracts. 

Practical guidance 

The corporate offence is clearly of 

significant concern to all businesses 

in the UK and UK businesses working 

abroad. What may have been 

considered ordinary hospitality may 

now be an offence under the Act, 

leaving the company open to a 

potentially unlimited fine and putting 

lucrative government contracts 

at risk. 

In order to reduce this risk, all 

companies should: 

● Put in place a clear policy on gifts 

and hospitality, making clear 

what is, and is not, acceptable; 

● Train staff and issue guidance on 

the effect and the offences under 

the Act; and 

● Put in place procedures to monitor 

and report issues relating to 

bribery. 

In all cases, companies should 

seek legal advice to review and 

update their existing procedures. 

Adequate procedures offer the only 

Regulations 

concerning foreign 

public officials will 

be of particular 

concern to 

international 

operations, whose 

normal corporate 

hospitality might 

now be considered 

an offence 

defence to the corporate offence of 

failing to prevent bribery, and a 

business will be left exposed if its 

policies are not up to date. 

At present, guidance as to what 

might constitute “adequate procedures” 

is limited. The secretary of 

state is required by section 9 of the 

Act to publish guidance, and it is 

expected that this will follow the 

consultation exercise referred to 

above. 

It is understood that the Ministry 

of Justice intends to release its guidance 

in early 2011 to allow organisations 

time to familiarise themselves 

before the Act comes into force. 

However, the Serious Fraud 

Office (SFO), which will deal with 

issues of bribery overseas, published 

some guidance last year on its 

approach to tackling overseas corruption. 

The SFO is suggesting a 

regime of ‘self-reporting’, which 

suggests that companies will require 

clear policies, procedures, training, 

oversight and accountability to 

ensure compliance. ■ 

BIFA is grateful to BIFA associate 

member Mundays Solicitors for 

providing this article. 

For more information, please 

contact Phil Walton on 01932 

590 500 or at 

philip.walton@mundays.co.uk. 

October 2010 23

tradeservices 

Is the maritime sector 

facing stricter regulation? 

Liner cartels were outlawed by the EC in 2008... but some observers 

believe that price fixing still goes on. While governments have so far 

stopped short of further regulation, they may eventually be forced to act 

In October 2008, as a result of legal 

action brought by the European 

Commission (EC), the Far Eastern 

Freight and the Trans Atlantic 

Conferences were outlawed. 

The maritime industry had vigorously 

defended its antitrust immunity 

and fought to save the conference 

system. By the time that they 

were finally dissolved these cartels 

had largely lost their market authority, 

and the market had largely 

adjusted to a new situation in which 

there was no exemption from competition 

legislation. 

However, there remains concern, 

which is particularly strongly 

expressed in the Far East, that certain 

abuses of the system remain, 

and the lines are still subject to 

investigation in the USA and EU. 

Additionally, at a domestic level, 

the Office of Fair Trading is investigating 

our port industry. Certainly, 

the immediate post-conference 

world is an interesting time and 

there does seem to be some appetite 

for tighter controls of the maritime 

sector on both sides of the Atlantic. 

Allegations 

Bearing in mind the rapid eastward 

shift in the balance of economic 

power, the criticism of the lines by 

John Lu, chairman of the Asian 

Shippers’ Council, is particularly 

noteworthy. He has alleged that 

recent rate increases on key trades 

from Asia to Europe and the US 

have been engineered by the shipping 

lines. 

He is quoted as saying:“Freight 

rates have been going up artificially 

for so many months… because… of 

the actions of the shipping lines 

rather than market forces.” 

Mr Lu observed that actual shipping 

capacity is still in oversupply. 

However lay-ups and slow steaming, 

which he alleges amounts to collective 

action, have created an artificial 

shortage, although he acknowledged 

that it is very hard to prove the allegation. 

Shipping lines would counter that 

they have all faced similar problems 

with similar solutions during the 

recent recession. A balance between 

demand and supply had to be 

restored in 2008/2009, which was 

achieved by mothballing and scrapping 

surplus capacity, and also introducing 

slow steaming. 

Recent rate increases have 

attracted much interest and comment, 

particularly as they occurred 

when much of the global economy 

was still struggling. It should also be 

pointed out that airfreight has experienced 

similar sharp rate rises during 

the peak seasons. Also it could 

be argued that the recent inability of 

the shipping line to apply peak season 

surcharges indicates that they 

are at the mercy of the market, at 

least in the longer term 

Many legal experts are advising 

shipowners to carefully monitor 

developments in the aviation and 

freight forwarding industries, both of 

which are being investigated by 

antitrust agencies. It is argued that 

freight rate surcharges and measures 

to reduce capacity could be viewed 

as suspicious by the regulators. Ian 

Giles of Norton Rose has highlighted 

that announcements by carriers 

regarding ancillary rate increases 

or future sailing speeds could be 

seen as leading. 

Many observers believe if a complaint 

were made in Brussels that a 

case could probably be constructed 

alleging breaches of antitrust legislation. 

The challenge facing the regulators 

would be to decide whether, 

faced by the worst economic and 

shipping crisis in living memory, it 

was acceptable for lines to follow the 

leader by introducing rates increases 

or reducing supply. 

Complaints 

Following complaints from shippers 

about space and container shortages, 

the Federal Maritime Commission 

(FMC) conducted a fact-finding 

exercise. Cargo bookings under 

existing contracts had been cancelled 

or rolled. 

The FMC’s conclusion was that 

increased volumes coinciding with 

capacity reductions lead to a 

demand/supply imbalance. While 

the FMC accepted that it had no 

power to force carriers to increase 

vessel capacity, it did establish 

teams to resolve disputes between 

carriers and US shippers regarding 

vessel and equipment availability, 

cancelled bookings, and rolled cargo 

and other matters that may require 

resolution. Additionally, the FMC 

plans to organise best practice discussions 

between shippers and lines 

to resolve these ongoing problems. 

The Wall Street Journal reported 

in June that the EC was launching 

an investigation into whether the 

24 October 2010

tradeservices 

largest lines had engaged in price 

fixing. Significantly the responsibility 

for investigating price fixing has 

been transferred from the transport 

to competition directorate. The 

competition directorate is more 

likely to apply the strict letter of the 

Support your 

local member 

group 

BIFA holds regional member meetings 

around the UK and here are some due to 

occur soon. If you would like to attend 

and find out more about BIFA and what 

we do, why not contact your regional 

representative. Full contact details are on 

the BIFA website www.bifa.org in the 

Contacts section. 

All BIFA members are entitled and 

encouraged to attend their regional 

meetings. However pre-booking is 

essential. ■ 

Contact your BIFA regional 

representative at www.bifa.org 

law to any investigations relating to 

breaches of competition legislation 

than the transport directorate. In the 

past there have been cases where 

the latter has been more willing to 

interpret the law more flexibly. 

Prompted by the potential sale of 

BIFA members 

have complained of 

unfair charges 

incurred when ports 

have been closed 

due to adverse 

weather 

the Trust Ports, and particularly the 

Port of Dover, the Office of Fair 

Trading (OFT) has launched an 

investigation to establish whether 

there is a link between types of 

ownership and the manner in which 

companies conduct their business, 

including how they treat their customers. 

BIFA has attended two meetings 

at the OFT’s London offices at 

which members’ complaints were 

discussed regarding lack of service 

and also unfair charges incurred 

when ports have been closed due to 

adverse weather. 

The OFT noted that ports, 

unlike airports, were not regulated 

and that some form of monitoring 

may be appropriate 

While it is important to acknowledge 

and recognise the vital role that 

the maritime sector plays in the UK 

trade and the wider economy, there 

are still concerns expressed by shippers 

and solicitors about certain 

aspects of its conduct. The lines successfully 

reduced capacity and 

forced up rates when the rest of the 

world was still in recession – attracting 

considerable criticism from shippers 

and importers across the globe. 

Governments have investigated 

the situation and, while to date no 

wrong doing has been discovered, 

have introduced controls that 

stopped short of increased regulation 

– but the question has to be for 

how long? ■ 

Region Date Time Venue BIFA Contact 

West London Thurs 21 October 14.00 Redfern House, Feltham Colin Young 

ACAE & Members meeting 

Manchester Tues 9 November 10.30 Premier Inn, Paul Young 

Members meeting 

Manchester Airport 

Midlands Wed 10 November 10.30 Office of East Paul Young 


Midlands Airport 

Liverpool Thurs 11 November 10.30 Peel Ports, Paul Young 


The Maritime Centre 

Stansted Wed 17 November 11.30 LSC, Stansted Colin Young 


Glasgow Thurs 18 November TBA Venue – TBA Alph Forrest 


Gatwick Thurs18 November 12.30 Timberham House Colin Young 


London East Tues 23 November 14.00 DP World London Gateway Nigel Peall 


Anglia Wed 24 November 10.00 Holiday Inn, Orwell Ipswich Nigel Peall 


Solent Wed 24 November 08.00 The Duke of Wellington Colin Young 


West London Thurs 25 November 14.00 Redfern House Colin Young 


October 2010 25

BIFA award winnerprofile 

www.bifa.org 

Panprojects in Caspian Sea triumph 

Panprojects won BIFA’s Project 

Forwarding award for its heavy lift 

projects around the Caspian Sea 

A Panprojects 

heavy lift 

operation 

Panprojects, the wholly owned 

subsidiary of Panalpina World 

Transport, won the Project 

Forwarding award at BIFA’s 21st 

Awards Ceremony. 

This was the second time in a 

matter of months that the company’s 

excellence in project forwarding had 

been recognised as, in October last 

year, Panprojects also won the IFW 

Project Forwarder of the Year award. 

The submission to both concentrated 

on its projects in the Caspian 

Sea, detailing the investment the 

group had made both as Panprojects 

and through Panalpina’s local operations 

in the region since 2004. 

Operating on behalf of a consortium 

of oil companies, the company 

designed two special ro-ro ‘landing 

craft-type’ barges, which were built 

on the Volga River and put in place 

the equipment and tractor units to 

support 44-axle lines of heavy duty 

modular trailers. 

“We were able to demonstrate to 

our client that it could save a lot of 

money by moving its out-of-gauge 

cargo by a particular route, which 

involved moving up the Ural River 

to where we had designed and built 

a special ro-ro jetty,” states Chris 

Kent, the recently appointed Global 

Head of Panprojects. 

Processing plant 

“We also built bypasses and temporary 

roads along a 52 km route to go 

to the job site, where the consortium 

is building a processing plant for the 

oil that comes ashore by pipeline 

from offshore wells.” 

Cargo was transhipped onto the 

barges in Astrakhan, using equipment 

and cranes hired from Mammoet. 

This enabled Panprojects to 

maximise the turnaround, rather 

than sailing all the way from the 

connections to the international 

waterways. Panprojects delivered 88 

special out-of-gauge items to the 

site, including one piece weighing 

657 tonnes, in one river shipping 

season. It has also been delivering 

modules of up to 2,800 tonnes to the 

offshore sites where the consortium 

is drilling for oil. This has been done 

by means of wet-towing the modules, 

which were built in a hull, from 

countries such as Norway, Dubai 

and Italy. The units had to fit the 

maximum envelope of the Volga- 

Don and Volga-Volt shipping route: 

16 m high and wide and 160 m long. 

In addition, it moved 65,000 tonnes 

of pipe to connect the offshore and 

onshore sites. 

There is a six-month window 

each year, from April to October, 

and the Ural River has “some interesting 

difficulties to overcome”. At 

the start of each year, the river is full 

of ice melt from Siberia and water 

levels are consequently high, but the 

levels drop quite dramatically 

towards the end of the season. As 

such, the barges had to be built to 

overcome these difficulties; to be 

shallow draught for the end of the 

season but also able to go deep 

under the bridges, where there is an 

8 m height restriction, while carrying 

Kent: We were 

able to 

demonstrate to 

our client that 

they could save a 

lot of money by 

moving their 

out-of-gauge 

cargo by a 

particular route. 

cargo that is over 6 m tall. 

The barges also have the ability 

to flood-down so that cargo can be 

floated into them. This has enabled 

Panprojects to use the barges for 

moving special rescue vessels, 

known as IBEEVs (ice-breaking 

emergency evacuation vessels) into 

the Caspian for offshore drilling 

operations. 

Savings 

The barges are fully committed 

until October and there is an option 

to extend for a further year. “The 

method of delivering the heavy lifts 

by building the barges has saved significant 

sums, when compared with 

other options, and allowed the client 

to maximise the shipping envelope,” 

declares Kent. 

Among the options was to build a 

road across an expanse of marshland, 

which would have had environmental 

problems, while another possibility 

was to build hover-barges, but 

the budget was not sustainable. 

The project is now nearing the 

end of the experimental programme. 

The next phase will be substantially 

bigger. 

Panprojects is a standalone division 

within the Panalpina group, 

making it one of the few global project 

forwarders to have separate 

reporting and not be integrated into 

all the other operations. It has one 

head and a separate budget, with 

Kent reporting directly to the chief 

executive of Panalpina. ■ 

26 October 2010

www.bifa.org 

awards 

Graham Poll to host 2010 awards 

BIFA is pleased to announce the guest speaker and host for this 

year’s Awards luncheon ceremony: Graham Poll (pictured), 

former football referee, TV pundit and newspaper columnist. 

As well as addressing guests with a brief after-lunch speech, 

Graham will present all award finalists with their certificates, and 

the lucky winners with their crystal glass trophies. 

Graham Poll is probably the best known and most 

experienced English referee of all time. A footballing legend with 

26 years’ experience, and a career that spanned 1,544 matches, 

he was regarded as one of the most prominent referees in the 

Premiership, often taking charge of the highest profile games. As 

well as refereeing the 2005 UEFA Cup Final, he was the English 

representative at two World Cups and UEFA Euro 2000. 

Since retiring from refereeing in May 2007, Graham has 

concentrated most of his time on media work. Among other 

engagements, he offers regular insights on both BBC Radio 5 

Live and TalkSport, and is a columnist with The Daily Mail. 

As a book writer, Graham published his autobiography, 

Seeing Red, in 2007, and in 2009 a second book entitled Geoff 

Hurst and the Hand of God. 

Graham Poll began his career in sales, originally with Canon, 

quickly progressing to managing an expanding sales force at 

Coty. Graham has developed an excellent reputation as a 

celebrity speaker and host by combining his experiences in 

commercial sales with top level sport. 

The date for the BIFA Awards luncheon ceremony, to be held 

at the Brewery, London EC1, is Thursday 20 January 2011. ■ 

Tickets are available for purchase online at: 

www.bifa.org/awards > Book Tickets 

The judges are out 

October is the month when the 

finalists and winners of this 

year’s BIFA Freight Service 

Awards are chosen, both for the 

Young Freight Forwarder Award and 

other award categories. 

Young Freight Forwarder 

Award 

A preliminary judges’ meeting will 

take place in mid-October to select 

four finalists for this category of the 

competition. This judging panel is 

made up of three senior 

representatives from the BIFA 

Secretariat. 

At this first stage the judges will 

review entries based on the 

candidate’s range of experience and 

their written article on the subject 

of: How do you expect the logistics 

industry to change and develop at the 

start of this new decade? 

All entrants will be notified in 

writing whether they have made the 

finalists’ shortlist. 

At stage two, finalists will be 

invited to a face-to-face interview in 

mid-November with the main 

judging panel to discuss their career 

achievements to date, as well as 

their future goals and ambitions. 

The Young Freight Forwarder 

Award main judging panel comprises 

two senior representatives of the 

BIFA Secretariat, together with a 

representative from the category 

sponsor Johnson Stevens Agencies. 

One winner will be chosen, to be 

announced at the BIFA Awards 

Ceremony Luncheon on Thursday 

20 January 2011. 

All awards 

A preliminary judges’ meeting will 

take place in mid-October to select 

four finalists in each of the eight 

award categories: Air Freight; 

Environment; European Logistics; 

Ocean Freight; Project Forwarding; 

Special Services; Staff 

Development, and Supply Chain 

Management. 

This judging panel is made up of 

three senior representatives from the 

BIFA Secretariat. All entrants will 

be notified in writing whether they 

have made the finalists’ shortlist. 

In early November, the main 

awards judging panel will convene at 

a second judges’ meeting to review 

the finalists’ submissions, and select 

a winner for each category. The 

panel will consist of two senior 

representatives of the BIFA 

Secretariat, together with a couple of 

independent industry experts, and 

representatives from sponsor 

companies, namely: Albacore 

Systems, BoxTop Technologies, 

British Airways World Cargo, 

CargoWise, Forward Computers, 

Maersk Line and TT Club. ■ 

The names of the judges on both 

main judging panels will be 

announced on the BIFA Awards 

website at: www.bifa.org/awards 

> Judging 

October 2010 27

training 

www.bifa.org 

Training Courses: November 2010-January 2011* 

AVIATION SECURITY 

Air Cargo Security Level A – General Awareness 

2 November London, Feltham 




6 December London, Feltham 


13 January London, Feltham 


Air Cargo Security Level B - Drivers 

As Level A – General Awareness 

Air Cargo Security Level D – Handling & Preparation 

of Air Cargo 

As Level A – General Awareness 

Air Cargo Security Level E – Screening of Air Cargo 

Screening by physical examination only, x-ray training 

not included 

15-16 November London, Feltham 

7-8 December London, Feltham 

17-18 January London, Feltham 

Air Cargo Security Level F – Security Supervisor 

As Level E – Screening of Air Cargo 

Air Cargo Security Level G – Security Manager 




Air Cargo Security – Refresher Levels D and E 

(for holders of old syllabus Level 1 certificates 

approaching expiry) 




Air Cargo Security – Refresher Levels F and G 

(for holders of old syllabus Level 2 or Level 3 certificates 

approaching expiry) 




Aviation Security Cargo X-Ray Operator 

Available as an in-house course, contact BIFA to 

schedule a date 

Aviation Security NXCT 

NB – test session only – no training takes place 





CUSTOMS PROCEDURES 

Customs Procedures for Export Cargo (CM1) 

15 November Birmingham 


Customs Procedures for Import Cargo (CM2) 



BTEC Intermediate Award in Customs Export & 

Import Procedures (CM3) 

Commencing 7 October 

London, Feltham 

Commencing 11 January 


Diploma in Customs Management (CM4) 

Two-day optional add-on to CM3 

See www.bifa.org for forthcoming dates 

BTEC Intermediate Award in Customs Import Entry & 

Procedures (CM5) 

Commencing 11 October 


DANGEROUS GOODS 

Dangerous Goods by Air (DGA1) 

1-3 November Birmingham 


15-17 November Manchester 


10-12 January Manchester 


17-19 January Birmingham 

31 January – 2 February Glasgow 

31 January – 2 February Leeds Bradford 

Dangerous Goods by Air – Revalidation (DGA2) 

4-5 November Birmingham 




13-14 January Manchester 


20-21 January Birmingham 

Dangerous Goods by Road (DGR1) 



Dangerous Goods by Road – Revalidation (DGR2) 

Days 2 and 3 of the above Dangerous Goods by Road 

course (DGR1) 

Dangerous Goods by Sea (DGS1) 



Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser (DGSA) 

29 Nov – 3 Dec London, Feltham 

Multimodal Dangerous Goods Awareness (DGAW3) 


Radioactive Goods by Air (DGA3) 


Radioactive Goods by Air – Revalidation (DGA4) 


Infectious Substances by Air (DGA5) 

24 November Heathrow area 

Dangerous Goods CFR49 (DG49) 


FREIGHT FORWARDING 

AND INTERNATIONAL 

TRADE 

Customer Services for the Freight Industry (CS5) 

Available as an in-house course – contact BIFA Training 

Services 

Exports for Beginners (EXP1) 


Imports for Beginners (IMP1) 

1 February London, Feltham 

Introduction to Air Cargo (AC1) 


BTEC Intermediate Award in Multimodal International 

Freight Procedures (MFT1) 

Commencing 12 January 


Diploma in Multimodal International Freight Procedures 

(MFT2) 

Two-day optional add-on to MFT1 

9 & 23 November London, Feltham 

Managing Contracts & Liability using the BIFA STC 

*** new course *** 

2 November Liverpool 

3 November Manchester 


9 November Aberdeen 

10 November Glasgow 

16 November Humber 

17 November Yorkshire 

22 November Bristol 

25 November Felixstowe / Ipswich 


Sea Freight: The Basics (SF1) 

9 November Manchester 

Introduction to Letters of Credit 


HEALTH AND SAFETY 

First Aid – Appointed Person (FA1) 


First Aid – Full 3-day course (FA2) 

25-27 October London, Feltham 


Health and Safety Overview for Supervisors/ Managers 

(HS1) 


* January 2011 dates – PROVISIONAL 

To view course content or to make a booking, go to www.bifa.org and click on training 

BIFA is a 

member of 

28 October 2010

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