Business, Forwarding, Freight News
Get ready for new STCs, urges BIFA
[ December 17, 2025 // Chris Lewis ]The British International Freight Association (BIFA) is urging its members to ensure they are fully prepared to implement its updated Standard Trading Conditions (STC) from 1 January 2026.
The revised STC, unveiled in September, replace the version last updated in 2021and have been developed in response to significant changes in the UK’s trading environment, including a marked increase in customs-related activities. Ongoing turbulence in global trade has also heightened risks faced by BIFA’s corporate members.
BIFA director general, Steve Parker, said: “Failing to implement an effective incorporation process will leave BIFA members unprotected against potential claims.
“Effective incorporation means advising clients and liability insurers of the changes, training staff on the updated clauses, and considering any procedural changes required within their operations.”
He urged members to check information about the new STC and how to incorporate them on the BIFA website and to ensure they are fully embedded in their contractual and operational processes ahead of the January deadline.
Senior policy advisor Robert Windsor told an episode of BIFA TV on 17 December: “Without incorporating the STCs, you can’t rely on them to protect you. You also need to tell your clients of the changes, to train your staff, tell your liability insurer and consider what procedural changes you need to implement.”
He added: “These are probably the biggest changes to BIFA’s STCs since they were introduced in 1988.” He said that the revisions included a clearer and broader definition of customs agent, the definition of customer had been widened to include both paid and unpaid work by the forwarder and there had been changes to increase fucus on timeframes such as those for demurrage.
The jurisdiction of the STCs were now the English courts, although members in Scotland and Northern Ireland could, with the customer’s agreement, vary these to include their own local legal systems.
Woodland group director John Stubbings told BIFA TV that the new STCs confirmed the circumstances in which BIFA members could act as direct or direct customs representatives and their contractual right to appoint customs subagents. Other clauses concerned the ability for forwarders to recover charges through liens and sale of goods held outside the UK while notice periods had been reduced to take account of modern electronic communications.
Tags: BIFA