In the world of International Trade, particularly as it relates to freight forwarders and custom brokers, a lot has changed in the past six years, let alone the last 106 years.
While today’s methods of moving cargo and the instruments used to do so would have been completely unimaginable when the International Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association of New Orleans (IFFCBANO) was founded in 1913, the ultimate objective of this collective group remains steadfast then to now.
As a regional offshoot of the National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association, IFFCBANO develops new economic opportunities for its membership through active promotion of shipping via the lower Mississippi River (and all the advantages of doing so), lobbying for positive trade legislation at the local and national level, and creating a natural networking alliance within its vast membership.
“It’s all about helping our clients,” said Cole Trosclair, President of IFFCBANO. “So anything that might affect the way our clients do business, we make sure they’re aware of it through accessible information. For example, say a specific regulation comes out for a product line that some of our clients handle. That information is disseminated to our members right away. The same holds true with the ports, with steamship lines, trucking — if there’s something new or a pressing issue, our clients will know about it.
“Basically, anything that affects our (members’) day-to-day operations is our concern.”
Because of the wide range of companies and agencies all underneath the IFFCBANO umbrella, the Association splits its members into two factions. IFFCBANO’s “regular members” — essentially its core members — consists solely of local International Freight Forwarders and Customs House Brokers. Then, there are the associate members of IFFCBANO, which are persons, agencies or corporations regularly engaged in international trade or support services of international trade, i.e. truckers, fumigators or entities like the Port of South Louisiana.
Despite the diversity within its membership, IFFCBANO’s strength lies in creating a united voice when it comes to broader, universally relevant issues instead of getting bogged down in the individual, specialized minutiae of handling a certain type of cargo.
“The idea is, we’re all in the same industry. We’re all in international trade,” Trosclair said. “So whether you have a commodity that’s specialized — let’s say coal — you’re still affected by many of the same mechanics as everyone else. It’s moving cargo in and out. How does it get there? What are the problems with getting it there? Those are the things we discuss as a membership.
“A thing like Port Congestion is talked about and discussed within our membership much more than a singular commodity, because that affects everybody — not just a couple of brokers.”
Those belonging to IFFCBANO have found a wealth of informational resources and networking opportunities through fellow members. Trosclair said a symbiotic relationship exists between IFFCBANO members. Companies will often lean upon other companies listed in IFFCBANO’s annual directory for specialized services, or even just know-how in an area of international trade with which they aren’t familiar.
Each year, the Association hosts an International Trade Symposium, bringing together the top brass within its membership for a two-day educational and networking conference. For the 2019 event, which was held in Point Clear, Alabama, the Port of South Louisiana sent three members of its team.
“IFFCBNO does a great job with all its freight organizations,” Port of South Louisiana Executive Director Paul Aucoin said. “They connect the dots, if you will, with all the different freight forwarders, customs brokers, transportation services. They do a great job representing all those professional organizations.”
Aucoin went on to commend IFFCBANO for its spirited support of customs and border protection initiatives, and for its dedication in aligning with the Port’s mission to convince the government of the vital importance of dredging the lower Mississippi River to 50 feet to allow safe passage of new Panamax vessels.
“The Ports are critical, because that’s what all of the cargo is moving in and out through,” Trosclair said. “So knowing the offerings of the Ports, and what their pain points are, is really important so that we can join together in that lobbying sense. I know the Port of South Louisiana is really up on the importance of dredging (the Mississippi River) and that’s something we’ve supported as well. When you have all aspects — the Ports, the corporations, the truckers, the broker forwarders — of the supply chain unified, I feel it brings that much more to our position on certain issues.”
