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UK Freight Association reintroduces face-to-face training programme

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has confirmed that some of its extensive portfolio of training courses will return to being conducted in person, as it strengthens the team of people that deliver that training.

“Delegates have shown their appreciation for being able to complete our various courses online since classroom training was suspended in March 2020. They have also expressed their desire to receive face-to-face training. Hence, we plan to reintroduce classroom sessions from late April 2022,” explained executive director Carl Hobbis, who has overall responsibility for BIFA’s training activities. “Whilst we will recommence face-to-face training, our successful online training courses will continue.”

The first course to return to the classroom on 27 April 2022 at Heathrow, will be Customs Essentials. This is a one-day course that provides knowledge around the key customs documentation and regimes. It is ideal for someone with a basic understanding of the industry.

There will be a return to the classroom for BIFA’s four-day BTEC Intermediate Award in Customs Export and Import Procedures, commencing in May. This course is designed for those that would prefer a formal qualification and covers a wide range of customs-related topics.

On 26 May 2022, BIFA’s Freight Forwarding Essentials course will re-commence in person. This one-day course is ideal for someone new to the industry and provides a basic knowledge around the key documentation, modes of transport, insurance, bookings, charges and consolidations.

Hobbis added: “Despite having to deliver our entire portfolio of courses online in 2021, it was an excellent year for the trade association’s training programme, culminating in our decision to appoint an additional full-time trainer to our training delivery team.”

Lisa Rose has joined BIFA as trainer – freight and customs procedures, giving the trade association a four-strong team based in Manchester, Birmingham and Feltham, which will enable it to deliver more training days for its members during 2022.

Rose, who joins BIFA from Intelligent Global Logistics, will be based in the Midlands, and has over 20 years of experience in freight forwarding and logistics. This includes management and supervisory roles, including branch manager, covering sales, customs, customer service, documentation, special projects, and key account management. Prior to Intelligent Global Logistics, she worked in senior roles at Air Menzies International for over a decade.

Hobbis said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Lisa to the team that delivers our freight and customs training. She has extensive industry experience, and in 2020 achieved a distinction in BIFA’s BTEC in Customs Export and Import Procedures, so has practical experience of the trade association’s training activities. Having her onboard will help us to further demonstrate that BIFA’s freight and customs training programmes are the most engaging in the industry.”

BIFA director general, Robert Keen said: “Our previous prediction that Brexit, the switch from CHIEF to CDS, and the development of a relevant freight forwarding apprenticeship, would lead to a significant increase in the demand for our training programmes, has been proved correct. We hope to see more of our members start to take on more apprentices and Lisa’s appointment strengthens the team to have the resources in place to handle any further increase in demand that accompanies the growth in apprentice employment.”

Freight association calls for greater clarity and detail on new cross border trade systems

BIFA, the trade association for UK freight forwarders, says the devil will be in the detail when it comes to the raft of recent announcements by the government in regards to various aspects of future cross border international trade.

Robert Keen, the trade association’s Director General said: “The sooner the government puts some meat on the bones of the various announcements, the better it will be for members of the British International Freight Association (BIFA), which manage a significant proportion of that visible trade.

“With less than 100 days to go before the end of the transition period, we share the concerns of our members whether there will be sufficient time to make the necessary preparations to facilitate and implement the revised arrangements.”

When the Border Operating Model was revealed, BIFA welcomed the fact that the information contained in the documentation suggests a more cohesive approach to managing the UK’s trade flows and regulatory procedures with the EU.

The announcement gave some clarity on the timing of increased controls; the overall processes that need to be followed; investment in infrastructure; as well as grants for training and new IT infrastructure.

Keen added: “Set within the overall Border Operating Model, a pattern is emerging of announcements with attention-grabbing headlines, but minimal detail that doesn’t appear to have been thought through.”

BIFA says it has significant concerns about the recent announcements concerning the Smart Freight System; Goods Vehicle Movement System, as well as the Trader Support Service for Northern Ireland, in particular, which was announced last week.

Whilst the new systems have been announced, it says consultation with the trade has been minimal and some of the practicalities of implementing the new systems in regards to freight forwarding, and other supply chain responsibilities, as well as document flows, do not appear to have been taken into account.

Keen says: “Clearly, in regards to the Trader Support Service, if businesses wish to remain compliant they will have to implement new processes and train staff, which will mean investment at a time of huge uncertainty.

“We appreciate that Northern Ireland is a special case, but BIFA members are disappointed with certain elements of the announcement, including the fact that the Trader Support Service will include Rest of the World customs entries, which will actually lead to them losing business and revenue.

“The decision to include Rest of the World trade with Northern Ireland in the range of the Trader Support Service activities has come as a complete surprise and we have already had members advising that their customers will  be cancelling the customs clearance services performed on their behalf. 

“There are also significant gaps in detail regarding key customs responsibilities, such as direct and indirect trader status, which can carry significant liabilities.

“BIFA members on both sides of the Irish Sea that have been encouraged to invest in employees, new IT systems; sign contracts and make other financial investments could find themselves out of pocket with the introduction of the Trader Support Service.

“BIFA remains concerned that many of the details concerning the new systems  still appear to be at the conceptual stage. We urge the government to provide urgent clarification as many questions remain unanswered for businesses in the UK, and in particular in Northern Ireland, where both the EU and UK customs rules will be applied, depending on the final destination of the goods.”

“Even with the further financial commitment that was announced alongside the news of the Trader Support Service last Friday, the time frames for consultation; procurement, and then devising the appropriate IT and other operating systems seems extremely challenging.”

BIFA offers guidance for business life after lockdown

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has published a guidance blueprint on the steps businesses should be taking in order to facilitate a return to work once the current lockdown restrictions are eased by the Government.

BIFA says that whilst it was difficult to provide precise answers to the many questions it has received from members because there are numerous variables to consider, it has outlined a series of measures companies should consider.

It says that the safe return of all staff to work must be the primary concern of all employers, but also acknowledges that there may be some preliminary concerns.

The guidance blueprint outlines what should be reviewed, such as cargo handling procedures, the provision of PPE, and a ‘staggered’ start-up of business depending on how premises can function under social distancing and office layouts.

Robert Keen, Director General at BIFA, said: “It is likely that the post-lockdown situation will be an evolving picture and it is important that companies monitor staff feedback and ongoing government advice/regulation to adjust their initial policies and procedures as applicable. Any procedural changes will have to be promptly advised to staff and implementation monitored.

“We obviously wish all our members a successful return to work and will assist wherever we can. Salutary lessons can be learned from recent experiences, and all seem to agree that greater resilience and flexibility will have to be built into business processes, and there will have to be new realities about areas such as credit control procedures and the level of cash reserves held by businesses.”

Click here to read advisory document in full.

BIFA welcomes new customs declarations processing system

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) notes that the implementation timetable on the new computer system that will replace an existing system used for processing Customs declarations is under review by the programme implementation board.

BIFA Director General, Robert Keen says that speculative comments on social media have caused further uncertainty among its members that are responsible for processing Customs declarations and moving much of the UK’s visible trade.

Keen stated: “In 2019, when HMRC announced its proposed plan for completing delivery of the new Customs Declaration System (CDS) and migrating traders from CHIEF to the new platform, we expressed the view, shared with CSPs and other software developers, that the timetable would be challenging.

“Having made further representations via the programme board seeking clarifications on behalf of our members, we are reassured to hear that it is HMRC’s intention to implement dual-running of both systems until the Department is confident that the new system is fully developed, stable and tested. HMRC appears intent on having IT systems and Customs processes in place that will not compromise the integrity of the border, or the flow of international trade.

“However, we don’t think that it would be appropriate to comment further until there is an official government announcement on the matter with regard to the changeover from CHIEF to CDS and the appropriate timeframes.”

BIFA says that from the forwarder and customs agent’s viewpoint, the key statement made by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Rt Hon Michael Gove on the 10th February was that frontier customs and other regulatory checks would be reintroduced on EU trade after the end of the transition period lasting until 31st December 2020.  This would mean that importers bringing goods from the EU and exporters sending goods to the EU would have to submit customs declarations and face goods checks at the UK border.  The inevitable consequence is that similar requirements would be imposed at the EU frontier,

Keen added: “The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove has clearly stated that full import Customs declarations would have to be submitted – there is to be no differentiation between regulatory procedures for imports/exports between the UK and EU and Rest of the World.” 

BIFA reiterated comments made by others that there is insufficient infrastructure and information in place at present to support the lodgement of import safety and security checks.  In fact, BIFA members regard this as the most significant customs-related issue to facilitating the flow of goods to and from the EU

BIFA is also seeking clarification on whether postponed VAT accounting will be introduced on import consignments, as this is another area that is causing concerns for its members due to the need to fund the increased guarantees required to underpin duty deferment accounts.  This change will help make the UK more competitive in international trade and improve our World Bank ratings.

Keen added that with the UK now outside the EU, and the transitional period which ends on the 31st December 2020 underway the development of the new core Customs Declaration System is only one part of what is now a much bigger jigsaw.

Whilst having significant concerns regarding certain elements of the outcome of Brexit, BIFA says it is glad that there is now clear outline clarity with regard to Brexit and will work via its Member Institutions with Government to ensure as successful an outcome as possible.  Regarding CDS, there has been clear progress recently and HMRC is now fully engaged with key stakeholders, a development that is to be welcomed.

UK freight association names policy and compliance officer

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has confirmed the appointment of David Stroud as its policy and compliance adviser with responsibility for logistics issues relating to air freight, security and sustainable logistics.

David Stroud is a highly experienced industry professional and has held senior management roles with DHL Global Forwarding, Tigers Global Logistics and NNR Global Logistics. Much of his career has involved air freight and aviation security issues.

In his new position at BIFA, he will be replacing Mike Jones, who is taking on the responsibilities of  Colin Young, BIFA’s regional consultant for London West and South West, who retired earlier this year.

Stroud will be working alongside Robert Windsor, executive director and Pawal Jarza, policy & compliance advisor (Customs matters) in BIFA’s Policy & Compliance department. He also becomes the manager of BIFA’s Air Policy Group.

BIFA director general Robert Keen said: “We welcome David and are sure that his experience working for some of the world’s leading freight forwarding and logistics companies over the last 30 years will help our policy and compliance department to fulfil its role of providing effective representation and support for BIFA members within the broader context of the UK and international freight services industry.”

BIFA welcomes customs training deadline extension

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has welcomed the Government’s decision to extend the deadline for businesses to apply for funding towards training courses that help them to complete customs declarations.

The funding was initially revealed in December 2018, and it was recently announced that the deadline for applications would be extended to May 31st 2019.

Grants are being made available for all customs intermediaries and traders completing customs declarations with the aim of supporting training and the upgrade of IT systems.

Robert Keen, director general of BIFA, said: “This scheme is intended to help support the extra demand for customs brokerage services associated with the UK’s departure from the EU, as well as issues associated with the replacement of the current system used to process customs entries.

“During our meetings with both HM Treasury and HMRC, BIFA highlighted the concerns of our members regarding the capability of the Customs brokerage sector to increase capacity, at a time when that sector already faces a shortage of staff of suitable quality.

“We emphasised that it could take up to a year to train staff to be fully conversant to prepare a range of basic Customs declarations, even if there was a sufficient number of trainers to train those staff, as well as relevant courses for them to attend.

“So, the news of an extension to the deadline for this funding is very welcome, and we are encouraging our members who believe they might benefit to apply; if they have not done so already.”

More information and grant applications can be found at: https://www.gov.uk

Freight trade welcomes HMRC’s ‘no deal’ TSP extension

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has welcomed the decision by HMRC to extend Transitional Simplified Procedures (TSP) in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

“Having criticised HMRC when it originally published its Transitional Simplified Procedures in February, we now welcome the news that, in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the date when the first supplementary customs declarations must be submitted, and any import duties must be paid, has been extended to October 4,” said Robert Keen, director general of BIFA. 

“We also welcome the news that TSP will be available for any port or airport where goods are being brought into the UK from the EU, not just ro-ro ports.

“But most importantly, we are pleased that HMRC has agreed to allow freight forwarders to operate TSP on behalf of their clients.”

Following the original announcement about TSP in February, BIFA, along with other associations, lobbied hard with HMRC. 

BIFA said the that it understood some of the easements contained in the TSP may make it easier for new applicants to obtain these authorisations.

But it also explained that there did not appear to be equivalent liberalisation of the regimes for existing holders, such as freight forwarders, despite the fact that they are the businesses that are most likely to be fully prepared to operate TSP.

The extension addresses the fact that the original documentation was skewed in favour of new applicants for authorisations and actually discriminated against existing holders, particularly relating to special procedures.

BIFA understands that HMRC’s original aim of publishing the Transitional Simplified Procedures in the event of a non-deal Brexit was to make importing easier by simplifying the declarations at the border and postponing the payment of import duties that would otherwise be due.

The new extension announced by HMRC provides more time to make the necessary preparations, fully test the systems, establish the communication links between the parties involved in the processes, and make sure that everyone concerned is aware of their responsibilities.

Keen concludes: “This is a very significant easement of policy and one for which BIFA, amongst others, lobbied hard to ensure all modes were treated equally. It should be noted that much confusion and effort could have been saved if Government had consulted with the trade in the first place.

“By allowing freight forwarders to operate TSP, the extension recognises the critical role that the freight forwarder plays as an intermediary in the UK’s supply chain.”

BIFA hosts inaugural Young Freight Forwarders Network event

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has launched a new networking group, the BIFA Young Forwarders Network (YFN).

Aimed at supporting individuals that have recently joined the logistics sector, the event, which was co-hosted with Outsource, part of the Seetec Group, was timed to link with the 12th National Apprenticeship Week (NAW 2019).

“The turnout for the launch event was excellent and the participants seemed genuinely keen to have the opportunity to network with their peers and learn from industry professionals,” said Carl Hobbis, BIFA’s training development manager.

Nichola Hay, director Outsource, added: “Outsource is supporting BIFA to make these events happen. This is a major step forward for the industry in developing its future freight forwarding ambassadors and leaders. Through these networks, young people will improve their knowledge of the sector, trends, as well as build their skill set and learn from others.”

Hobbis added: “The idea of the YFN is to create several regional networking groups, run by young forwarders and designed to help early talent and young BIFA members develop their knowledge and professional skills, but in a more social environment.

“The next event on April 11th will see the launch of the BIFA YFN regional group in the north west, during which participants will be provided with more details about the network and given an opportunity to discuss how they would like the north west regional group to work moving forward.”

The event is open to all: employers, apprentices, graduates or those new to the industry, talking place at The Botanist, Alderley Edge from 15:00 to 18:00.

More information can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bifa-young-forwarders-network-north-west-launch-tickets-56707342187

BIFA Customs-related training courses now CPD accredited

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has secured Continuous Professional Development (CPD) accreditation for both of its Customs-related training courses.

CPD accreditation is one of the highest standards for both academic and practical qualifications, ensuring teaching and learning remain up to date.

Carl Hobbis, BIFA’s training development manager, said: “Getting your courses CPD accredited to prove that they have a structured, practical and methodical approach is essential.

“It indicates to employers and HR practitioners that the courses have reached a certain standard. It gives them confidence that by sending their staff on one of our courses those employees will be obtaining and developing the skills to maintain a sustainable and competitive advantage.

“As you would expect, we have seen a massive surge in Customs training enquiries so to have both courses accredited is fantastic news. We also have our one-day Introduction to Import and Export course accredited and will also have accreditation for all apprentice activities as well, such as behind-the-scene tours and networking events.”

BIFA launches freight forwarding apprenticeship drive

The British International Freight Association (BIFA) has launched a website to help both employers and recruits to better understand apprenticeship opportunities in the freight forwarding industry.

The development follows last year’s introduction of the International Freight Forwarding Specialist apprenticeship, which aims to provide more opportunities for young people in the industry.

The microsite includes case studies containing tips all from the experiences of BIFA members and their apprentices. There are also range of materials for employers including information about funding and hiring.

Advice for apprentices includes highlighting a myriad of career pathways as well as information about the International Freight Forwarding Specialist Apprenticeship scheme. It aims to help those seeking apprenticeships in freight forwarding and be a resource to find opportunities.

Carl Hobbis, BIFA’s Training Development Manager, said: “Having been actively involved in the creation of the apprenticeship, BIFA has committed to promote the availability of the new apprenticeship and encourage employers and potential entrants to consider this apprenticeship as a route into the industry.”

“After meeting with various employers, BIFA wanted to provide a support system that means its members have the accessible resources to enable them to confidently reach out and engage with local communities. The website aims to be a basis of materials to support them in doing so.”

“One of the big attractions of choosing a career in freight forwarding is the different pathways that your career could take you. On the microsite, visitors can read a range of case studies from established BIFA members which demonstrate some of those fascinating career paths. They can also see top tips from existing apprentices as to why an apprenticeship should be considered.”

The initiative follows BIFA’s recent addition of an apprentice category into the trade association’s annual Freight Service Awards competition, which was created to encourage and reward high standards and professionalism and represent the ultimate recognition of special achievement.

Robert Keen, BIFA’s Director General, said: “In 2018, freight apprenticeships came to the fore, and there has already been significant interest from both employers and candidates.

“If you need guidance to cut through all of the red-tape, the website provides a range of assets that can be used for attending careers or local community days, clarity on funding benefits and practical tips that can create a better chance of hiring the best talent.”

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