E-FLASH Special: Know your FIATA and stay 'cyberALERT'!

FIATA e-flash
20 January 2024

This special edition highlights some of the exclusive benefits offered to FIATA Members and reminds them of the new FIATA Member Area on the website, which allows for secure and quick access to the 2024 membership certificates and invoices. In the wake of mounting tensions in the Red Sea and FIATA's call to action issued this week, the FIATA community will have the opportunity to meet in Dubai in early March to discuss resilience, sustainability and connectivity.

FIATA Membership benefits: your privileged access to FIATA expertise!


FIATA members have unparalleled access to a whole host of benefits. Not only do they belong to the largest logistics community, but they also have the unique opportunity to exchange with multimodal supply chain stakeholders from all over the world at FIATA annual events and showcase the trusted FIATA mark of excellence on their stationery! Crucially, FIATA Members have access to a large network of internal and external experts acting in and around the organisation's projects and work. Why not take advantage of this great knowledge base, and address your questions to FIATA areas of expertise via the dedicated FIATA  mailboxes?

FIATA is very pleased to answer its members queries using the knowledge and expertise at hand within FIATA.

Below, FIATA members can find dedicated points of contact in connection with FIATA's respective areas of expertise. Please note that FIATA's role is not to offer professional advice, but to provide guidance and knowledge from FIATA's pool of experts. These contact email addresses are also the best way to reach out to the FIATA HQ team and ensure a smooth treatment of your request.

Watch out for scam emails and stay alert and safe when paying your FIATA invoice!


In recent months, and in the context of FIATA's increased visibility in the public sphere, FIATA has been the target of several cybersecurity scams, with cybercriminals using FIATA's brand or the identity of FIATA leaders to lure its audience into sophisticated scam emails, which can at times lead FIATA readers to click on rogue links.

The latest of such attempts has been an email with an attachment which claims to be the latest FIATA Reference Handbook. Please do not click on this attachment, or any links in this email, and do not provide any personal or financial information!

Another attempted cyberscam has been the sending of counterfeit FIATA Membership Statements. FIATA draws its members' attention to the below infographic, which provides information on how to access invoices and certificates via the FIATA Member Area (Dashboard), which is the most reliable source of information to ensure the authenticity of the documents in case of doubt.

For a recap on other things to look out for and to protect yourself from cyberattacks, please refer to the FIATA guidelines to be sure not to fall victim to scams! FIATA Members may also find it useful to consult the upcoming update to the FIATA Best Guide on Cybercrime, which will be released soon.

2024 FIATA Region Africa and Middle East (RAME) Field Meeting, UAE - 5 to 6 March 


The 2024 FIATA Regional Field Meetings are a key opportunity for regional and local networking and B2B side events. This year, the FIATA Region Africa and Middle East Field Meeting will be hosted in Dubai by the National Association of Freight and Logistics (NAFL) of the United Arab Emirates, and FIATA, under the theme “Connectivity, Resilience and Sustainability  in Global Supply Chains and Trade.”

Over 1000 international top experts, C-level executives, practitioners and operators in the freight logistics and trade export industry are anticipated to attend the two-day conference, which should not be missed! Regional challenges and opportunities will be addressed, as well as the impact of the ongoing disruptions in the Red Sea and in the Middle East. Participants will also have the opportunity to have a tour of a DP World port terminal, more information of which can be found in the links below.

Delegates of the FIATA Working Group Sea who are attending the RAME meeting will be able to extend their stay for a further 2 days in order to participate in the 2024 Working Group Sea field meeting which will be held on 7 and 8 March.

Learn more here from the FIATA host association NAFL!

Check out the latest FIATA article about the event!

Register here to the Working Group Sea Meeting in Dubai

FIATA's Call to Action for international stakeholders and members affected by the Red Sea crisis!
 

FIATA Members will undoubtedly be aware of the continued attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea amid mounting tensions in the region, which have led to significant diversions away from this key trade route. At a time of increased inflationary pressures, rising freight rates, coupled with additional surcharges imposed by shipping lines operating on and outside of the Red Sea area, stand to impact consumers and economies worldwide.

FIATA has released a call to action for strengthened international dialogue and monitoring between governments and industry decision-makers to ensure maritime supply chain fluidity and connectivity. It calls on shipping lines to exercise particular care in the imposition of surcharges, and to communicate these in a transparent and clear manner. As well as this, FIATA calls on the international community to ensure appropriate and coordinated monitoring is in place, noting that supply chain disruptions are dependent on and touch upon many different stakeholders around the world. 

To read the full Call to Action, click here, and access the press release here.

Last chance to nominate your candidates for the 2024 FIATA Young Logistics Professionals (YLP) Award


FIATA is committed to supporting and promoting the next generation of freight forwarders and the logistics sector workforce at large. That's why each year, together with TT Club, it hosts and organises the Young Logistics Professionals (YLP) Award
 
FIATA Association Members can nominate one candidate to present their dissertation about the transport of a chosen type of goods to a panel of industry peers acting as judges. In previous years, both real-life and fictitious transport projects have been presented on the global stage at the FIATA World Congress, with the four regional winners competing for the first prize (see last year’s presentations). In addition to being exposed to the largest international industry network, the winners have been able to take part in highly acclaimed training programmes in London, Hong Kong or Jersey and have accumulated unrivalled professional knowledge, which is a major asset for the company in which they work and a key contribution to their career development.

Why Nominate? 

  • Showcase local talent: Show your commitment to supporting the development of young talent and preparing the leaders of tomorrow
     
  • Inspire Innovation: Promote groundbreaking ideas from young professionals
     
  • Develop your professional ecosystems: Connect your young professionals with peers, industry leaders, and potential mentors 

This year, the the regional winners will have the chance to compete at the FIATA World Congress which will take place in Panama! Do you know a promising candidate in your region, or a company member interested to present a candidate?

📅 Deadline for Nominations: 1 February 2024

For more information on how to submit your nomination, head to the dedicated YLP webpage.

Nominate your candidate now!

The latest FIATA Quarterly Legal Newsletter focuses on Regional Trade Agreements!

 

The fourth edition of FIATA's Quarterly Legal Newsletter "FIATA Focus" is out now, and brings with it important insights on the importance of leveraging regional trade agreements for greater trade facilitation! 

Regional trade agreements offer significant opportunities for different markets to benefit from economic collaboration and trade facilitation measures. They have the possibility to positively impact the logistics industry and foster increased efficiency and streamlined processes in the movement of goods. In this fourth edition of the FIATA Quarterly Legal Newsletter, the FIATA Focus, you will find valuable insights regarding the important role played by the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) as well as the numerous regional trade agreements in place around the world, such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). 

For more information, or if you would like to contribute to the next edition, please contact legal@fiata.org

Access FIATA Focus Issue 4 here!