The International Federation of Freight
Forwarders Associations
Fédération Internationale des Associations de
Transitaires et Assimilés
Internationale Föderation der
Spediteurorganisationen
10th IRU SYMPOSIUM of Jurists
International Conference Centre (CICG)
21 February 2014 in Geneva
Marco L. Sorgetti, FIATA, Director General
Thank you!
• FIATA appreciates this invitation to speak at IRU’s
10th Symposion of Jurists
• FIATA appreciates the work and support of IRU and
is pleased with the ongoing, mutually beneficial,
collaboration
• FIATA wishes to reciprocate the inviation by
providing information to IRU members and invited
guests about FIATA and its constituents in their role
as trade facilitators.
Global, unique constituency
In October 2013 FIATA represents
113 Association Members in 110 countries
5843 individual Members in 164 countries
Ageing with suitors
 FIATA was founded on 31th May 1926 in Vienna.
 FIATA is the largest non-governmental organization in
the field of transportation. Its influence is worldwide.
 FIATA has consultative status with UN/ECOSOC (inter
alia), UNECE, UNESCAP, ESCWA, UNCTAD, UNCITRAL,
etc.
 FIATA is the recognised representative body of the
freight forwarding and logistics industry for
- UN & governmental organisations,
e.g. ICAO, IMO, OECD, WCO, World Bank, WTO, etc.
- private sector organizations,
e.g. GACAG, GSF, IATA, ICC, IRU, UIC, etc.
All below figures are dated 2011
Targeted work
FIATA’s statutes’ objectives (article 2):
The purpose of FIATA is to act as an umbrella organisation for the national
and regional associations of freight forwarders throughout the world; to
safeguard, promote and co-ordinate professional and branch interests on an
international plane, in particular by:
• Maintaining contacts with international and supra-national authority
organisations and associations of transport and commercial
• Being active in the determination of customary usage/regulations in
international business.
FIATA encourages all efforts deployed to create
additional facilitation for traders in general and
logistics service providers in particular. It creates
instruments and standards for members and third
parties, shippers, governments, etc.
Working together in 
Institutes, Advisory Bodies, Working Groups
Airfreight Institute
AFI
Advisory Body
Security Matters
Customs Affairs Insitute
CAI
Multimodal Transport Institute
MTI
WG
Rail
WG
Road
WG
Sea
Fiata vocational training
The FIATA diploma is the benchmark for
the industry in many countries across the
globe, it can be expanded even further to
increase Members’ knowledge base
It ensures
portability of
credentials
worldwide
The target of the Foundation is to improve the
professional qualifications worldwide by creating
Train-the-Trainer courses in less
privileged and emerging countries
which have an important demand in
professional education
Trade Facilitation & FIATA documents
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•
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FIATA has created transport documents and uniform
standards and good practice for forwarders worldwide
Each document with distinctive colour and FIATA logo
All FIATA documents will be made available electronically
FIATA documents are
multimodal native
Description of services (since 2004)
“Freight Forwarding and Logistic Services”
means services of any kind relating to the carriage (performed by
single mode or multimodal transport means), consolidation, storage,
handling, packing or distribution of the Goods as well as ancillary and
advisory services in connection therewith, including but not limited to
customs and fiscal matters, declaring the Goods for official
purposes, procuring insurance of the Goods and collecting or
procuring payment or documents relating to the Goods. Freight
Forwarding Services also include logistical services with modern
information and communication technology in connection with the
carriage, handling or storage of the Goods, and de facto total supply
chain management. These services can be tailored to meet the
flexible application of the services provided.
Trade facilitation: a matter for
collaborative environment
 As a partner of shippers and carriers the freight forwarder
conciliates different interests and needs in the transportation chain,
deploying its expertise and market competency.
 Freight forwarders provide brokerage and assistance in customs,
excise, quality assessment, veterinary, phyto-sanitary, safety and
security, i.e. de facto full regulatory compliance.
 Freight forwarders facilitate traders’ market access by providing
consolidations and trade facilitation services.
 Freight forwarder and Customs agents fill all possible service
requirements of shippers’ demand, regardless of modes of
transport and compliance domains.
The role of freight forwarders
 Freight forwarders may have a double role in logistics chains:
 They may act as intermediaries or agents (less frequently today)
 organising the shipments of goods according to customers’
individual needs, by contracting services with third parties. In so
doing they are responsible for the choice of providers, but have no
obligation of result
 They may act instead as principals (more frequently today)
 by providing contractual carriage from point to point and assume in
such case a contractual obligation of result.
 Freight forwarders offering consolidated services (groupage)
are always acting as principals.
Acting as contractual carrier
 Freight forwarders acting as principals are the signatory of the
contract with the shipper with an obligation of result: as such
the freight forwarder undertakes the transportation of the
goods, whether by air, inland waterway, rail, road or sea.
 The liability of freight forwarders acting as principal may vary
according to different conditions, but quite often coincides with
that of the carrier.
 The physical carrier is the owner or operator of the means of
transport; as contracting party of the freight forwarder the
carrier is liable according to the applicable convention or law.
Objectives of freight agents
 The Freight forwarder acting as agent facilitates trade as
intermediary between the shipper and the transport service
providers (air, rail, road, sea). Its services include managing
and overseeing the transportation process in:
 Procuring the main leg transportation contract for the shippers
in liaising with carriers for booking, organisation and assistance
 Procuring land transportation for goods to final destination or
from origin
 Issuing and completing the transport documentation as agents
 Providing or procuring the ancillary services conducive to the
delivery of the goods, incl. Customs and insurance
Other freight forwarders’ activities
 Freight forwarders may also perform other related
activities and services, such as:
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assembling and stripping consolidated shipments
stuffing goods into a CTU (Cargo Transport Unit)
warehousing and distribution services
customs clearances
banking and insurance services
consular, quality or otherwise trade related services
 In such services their role depend on the contractual
arrangement with the shipper.
In conclusion
• Freight Forwarders are principal trade facilitators and are working
globally; their responsibility may vary according to contractual
arrangements.
• Trade Facilitation needs industry good practice and business
friendly regulatory environment
– IRU and FIATA need to work together on similar issues.
• FIATA works to build good practice and facilitation instruments in
conjunction with its Association Members; FIATA provides:
– Facilitation through FIATA DOCUMENTS and Model Rules
– Training and awareness programme to enhance knowledge base in
logistics (no drivers’ training at all)
– Experienced a consistent advice to UN, regional authorities such as EU,
APEC, MERCOSUR, NAFTA etc
– Help for governments wishing to improve trade facilitation and logistics
connectivity in their countries
– Friendly and effective collaboration with similar organisations such a IRU,
IATA, TIACA, WSC, ICS, GSF, ESC etc.
LET US WORK TOGETHER!
www.fiata.com
Thank you!