Assessing the year since the UK decided to exit the EU, British International Freight Association (BIFA) Director General Robert Keen walks softly but carries a big stick in Euro shipping circles. In the latest update/position of the British Freight Forwarders, he stated, “In the year since the Brexit vote, the UK has been in a period of great uncertainty on the political front and we hope that the new government of whatever hue is ready to confront the massive decisions that now need to be taken.
      “Other than the huge issues concerning international trade surrounding Brexit negotiations, we urge the new government to stop procrastinating over the expansion of UK aviation capacity and move forward with the recommendations made by the Airports Commission to expand Heathrow airport.
      “As the trade association that represents the UK’s freight forwarding community, BIFA will continue to lobby the new government to make sure that it understands that the UK’s freight forwarding community is the engine of Britain’s international trade.
      “On Brexit, BIFA has avoided making speculative statements with so many unknowns, but in the run up to the UK’s exit we will be campaigning to ensure that the new government understands that overcomplicated trade procedures cannot overburden the movement of the UK’s visible import and export trade.
      “We will be counting on the new government to show that the UK is still a confident, outward-looking trading nation, still capable of taking bold decisions that have a direct positive effect on the UK economy, its international connectivity, and reputation.”
Geoffrey