Business View Magazine | February 2019

235 prepare the necessary information, present it to the agencies –Customs and the border protection system – which then make sure the data goes to all the other agencies who have an interest in that data. We also provide advice and assistance to importers and exporters. We have a wealth of information we can share with our clients about how to make sure they are compliant and also look for strategies to economize, in the best possible way, to bring their goods into or out of the U.S.” BVM: What about a freight forwarder? Fields: “An international freight forwarder has a two-fold responsibility. What we do is facili- tate the movement of cargo. We can arrange to have the cargo travel from door to door; from the inland destination all the way to the foreign country; over the road, or by air freight or ocean freight. We also handle the documen- tation that’s required. We assist the exporter to ensure that U.S. laws are adhered to, as well as the requirements to get cargo into another country. We educate our clients as far as what needs to be done to be in compliance to en- sure that the cargo can be picked up when it arrives at its destination. As an NVOCC, we act as a logistics provider.” Magnus: “The customs broker handles the data that customs and other government agencies require, whereas the forwarder is responsible for the actual transportation of the goods. And many of our members do both. It is not uncommon that the customs broker also as- sists in providing transportation and logistics needs up to, and including, warehousing. We have members that are brokers and freight forwarders, and a combination – full logistics providers. We have some of the largest com- panies that you can imagine and we also have operations with one or two employees in the company. So, we have the full range: the re- ally large logistics providers, right down to the privately-owned, mom-and-pop type opera- tions. We run the full gamut.” BVM: Why should a company join the NCBFAA? Magnus: “As far as the benefits we provide, we wouldn’t be able to do the work we do, as well as we do it, without being a member of NCB- FAA. I say that because it is our source of in- formation. All of our members can participate in our committees and our meetings where we share information and advice. So, we have our ear to the ground about what’s going on in our industry. If there’s any type of trend or any type of concern in any of the ports of entry, it fun- nels into the NCBFAA committees, where we can discuss and strategize around some of the changes that we’re seeing. And in the last two Jan Fields conducting tansportation committee meeting