Balearic Islands Freight Forwarding Association (ATEIA-OLTRA) set up today at the Port of Palma

Balearic Islands Freight Forwarding Association (ATEIA-OLTRA) set up today at the Port of Palma

Palma de Mallorca

15/05/2014

The Balearic Islands Freight Forwarding Association (ATEIA-OLTRA) was set up at the Port of Palma today, following a technical conference entitled “The responsibility of freight forwarders and other logistics operators”. The event was attended by the Chairman of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands, Alberto Pons, the Chairman of the Majorca Chamber of Commerce, José Luis Roses, and the Chairman of FETEIA-OLTRA, Enric Ticó.  

 

The new Balearic Islands Freight Forwarding Association is made up of the seven main freight-forwarding companies on the islands, and Enrique Oliver Payarols, of Transcoma Baleares, S.A. has been named as its Chairman. As of today, the Chairman of the association (ATEIA-OLTRA) will be on the federation’s executive committee, thus making the Balearic Islands a full member of the Spanish Freight Forwarding Federation. The new association aims to publicise the role of freight forwarders as a key element in the smooth running of the logistics chain, and to pay special attention to providing training and information for its members.  

 

The role of freight forwarders

 

Freight forwarders are global logistics operators. They handle 87% of Spanish foreign trade and  decide through which port, airport, or customs border each foreign trade shipment will go, within the framework of an integrated logistics chain. 

 

Freight forwarders coordinate, monitor, and direct all of the operations needed to ship international goods, as well as all related freight services, regardless of the mode of transport. Freight forwarders organise the logistics chain. In short, freight forwarders are the architects of the supply chain. They are to freight what travel agents are to passengers.

 

These days, managing foreign trade is complex, and it involves extraordinary economic, legal, and organisational risks. A large part of these risks are taken by freight-forwarding companies who, thanks to the responsible way in which they handle their operations, ensure that company objectives are met, i.e. enabling efficient, safe international trade.