News / BIFA overhauls trading terms to reflect shifting trade landscape

Ongoing changes in UK trading procedures, and rising turbulence in global markets, have prompted the British International Freight Association (BIFA) to launch a new edition of its Standard Trading Conditions (STC), replacing the version last revised in 2021.

The update reflects the growth in customs-related activity as well as the heightened risks faced by BIFA’s members in today’s trading environment, it said.

BIFA director general Steve Parker said the review became a larger task than expected, resulting in “a significant revision and expansion” of the document.

“Over time, in the same ways laws must change, so do contractual rights and obligations that flow from these changes. Therefore, it is essential to review any set of industry terms against changes in legislation and industry practice.

“The importance of BIFA members ensuring that their incorporation of the BIFA STC into their contracts with their customers is effective cannot be stressed enough.”

A guiding principle of the review was to ensure the STC continues to provide a fair and balanced contract between members and their customers. To that end, the 2025 edition was closely examined for compliance with the Unfair Contracts Act 1977.

Another priority was modernising the language to make the conditions clearer and easier to understand. BIFA hopes this will improve transparency and reduce disputes between members and their customers.

The 2025 STC is now available on BIFA’s website and will come into effect on 31 December 2025. The association said it was important to give the industry time to familiarise itself with the changes before implementation.

To support members, BIFA will host two webinars on 14 and 23 October to highlight the main differences between the 2021 and 2025 editions of the STC.