Air Forwarders Association Pushes Against Bonding Req's on Capitol Hill

The Air Forwarders Association (AfA) is working on Capitol Hill with members of the House transportation Highway bill conference committee to voice concern over whether forwarders should be subject to new bonding requirements during the truck shipment of goods with a prior or subsequent air movement or domestic/trans-border all truck shipments, said AfA. Airforwarders are exempt from bonding requirements in this respect, but language in the Senate transportation bill would force a $100,000 surety bond on airforwarders and customs brokers when moving these shipments, said the association.

A recent survey found 44% of AfA members expressed outright opposition to the prospect of a surety bond requirement, while an additional 33% said the measure would adversely impact their business, and the AfA is therefore working to inform the Hill. Since the House and Senate have begun work on the conference that will hammer out differences between their two respective bills, AfA has stepped up its government affairs efforts to meet with conference committee members and their staffs to remove this provision from the final conference report, it said. The association has met with Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind) and professional committee staff on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. More meetings are scheduled for later in the month and throughout the conference process, said the AfA.