BIFA Trading Conditions 2017 – What are the Changes?
5th September 2017On 1st October, the British International Forwarders Association (BIFA) will be launching the new 2017 edition of their trading conditions. Typically, BIFA members adopt updated conditions as and when their BIFA membership renews; but they also have the option to adopt them sooner.
The main changes are that:
- the customer now warrants the accuracy of container weight information that they give to the forwarder, to protect forwarders in relation to the SOLAS regulations
- an “accelerator” clause has been added, to help protect forwarders when customers don’t pay
- an arbitration clause has been introduced, to help forwarders to pursue/resolve disputes with overseas customers
More details can be found in the July edition of BIFA’s member magazine BIFAlink.
Freight forwarders insured with NMU against their liabilities under the current edition of the BIFA trading conditions (2005A) can have peace of mind that we will also cover them under the 2017 conditions, even if they forget to tell us that they are changing over before their policy next renews.
The most important thing is that they tell their customers about the change and incorporate the new conditions into their contracts. We recommend that they do this by telling customers that services are provided subject to the conditions on their:
- quotations and contracts
- emails and other correspondence
- invoices and statements
- periodic mailshots
- website
BIFA members should also ensure their staff are fully aware of the changes and ensure that any links on websites, emails etc. are updated to the new conditions when they are published.
For more information, visit our page about The Importance of Incorporation or contact your local NMU specialist.