CIFFA Forwarder Magazine

6 THE FORWARDER | WINTER 2025 Good morning and welcome to the 2nd annual CIFFA Conference: “Forward Thinking, Redefining Excellence in the Supply Chain”. It is my honour to begin 2025 CIFFA conference by acknowledging that we are meeting on Aboriginal land that has been inhabited by Indigenous peoples for many thousands of years. As settlers, we’re grateful for the opportunity to meet here on lands that have been occupied by First Nations for millennia; lands rich in civilizations with knowledge of medicine, architecture, technology, and extensive trade routes throughout the Americas. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Haudenosaunee and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. Additionally, we recognize the contributions of Métis, Inuit, and other Indigenous peoples have made, both in shaping and strengthening this community in particular, and our province and country as a whole. As settlers, this recognition of the contributions and historic importance of Indigenous peoples must also be clearly and overtly connected to our collective commitment to make the promise and the challenge of Truth and Reconciliation real in our organizations and communities. Our relations with first nations communities are essential as settlers but also in our professional lives to navigate the supply chain. On behalf of my colleagues on the Board of Directors, let me thank all of you for coming today and for your ongoing support of CIFFA’s crucial advocacy work. I also would like to extend my gratitude to our Executive Director, Bruce Rodgers, and his entire team at the Secretariat who make this all possible. CIFFA continues its steady leadership as we pass our 76th year and head into the future of logistics. To our longstanding members, we wish to thank you for your continued loyalty and support, and for those who have joined us recently, thank you for helping us continue our work as the trusted advisor to our industry since 1948. Over the last several years CIFFA has extended its regular membership categories to encompass a larger section of the logistics supply chain that includes drayage operators, load brokers, warehouse operators and Customs Brokers. All of these sectors are an integral part of the supply chain and collectively strengthen our voice and provide a broader reach. In March 2024 we changed our name from the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association to CIFFA to reflect this broader representation. However, overall CIFFA’s path and focus have not changed throughout the decades, prioritizing the three important pillars of Membership, Advocacy and Education to drive our success. When people deal with a CIFFA member, they know they’re working with trained professionals and that their organizations have met the strong commitments required to become a member. Membership with CIFFA also helps protect your business. Our CIFFA Standard Trading Conditions (STCs) 1 can only be used by a CIFFA member. These conditions, which govern the relationship between CIFFA regular member firms and their clients, are regularly upheld in Canadian courts. Needless to say, there is unprecedented uncertainty, volatility and trade barriers in global markets but as we look for silver linings our members are resilient and best able to help our customers navigate this new reality. And for these reasons, our work on the Advocacy front has become paramount to the success of the association facilitating how CIFFA members do business. You will have an opportunity to hear during this conference that we are involved in various committees, both domestic and international, representing CIFFA on matters like air cargo, marine, rail, trucking, drayage, customs, regulatory, sustainability and technology. We always look for opportunities to combine efforts and to share our respective strengths. We are the trusted advisors to our members, international partners and government legislators. Supply chain issues in Canada tend to be siloed, each sector dealing with their issues in isolation, without regard for the greater impact to the supply chain overall. This is something that CIFFA is fighting to change. Our approach is to be proactive, not reactive, Forward Thinking, Redefining Excellence in the Supply Chain Conference Opening Remarks from CIFFA President Paul Courtney