by M. Sigmund Shapiro
1999
Every memorable occasion seems to bring out from the woodwork all
of the media savants who are allowed to give free rein to their
semi-profound analyses of the history and future ramifications of
the event. So on the eve of the National Customs Brokers and
Forwarders Association of America, Inc. (NCBFAA) 100th anniversary,
when Lee Di Paci invited me to pontificate on the state of our
industry, my ego was massaged and I decided to take pen in hand.
All of us like to reminisce, and my early memories are, like
those of many of my colleagues, an oral history passed on by those
who preceded us in my case, my dad. The irony of remembering
underscores the old French saying "The more things change, the more
they remain the same."
I learned a lot when I started attending board meetings in New
York as president of the Baltimore Brokers Association. I'd
accompany Sam (Mr. Sam to Lee and his friends) who, along with Steve
Masson, were the only "outport" interlopers even allowed on the
premises, much less as elected board members.
What did I learn ? Many things. Among them: (1 ) People in our
industry love their work - the more complicated the better. (2) Bull
Line always supplied the cigars at the annual meeting in Fraunces
Tavern. (3) Customs was the enemy and would cancel your license if
you looked at them cross-eyed. (4) Export freight forwarding was an
unnecessary evil if you were a licensed broker. (5) There is only
one port in the United States and the Hudson River flows into both
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The leaders were a colorful bunch
Walter Mercer, John Budd, Frank Hult, Harold Davies, Marty Kerner,
Herman Heemsoth, Herbert Mann, - all heavy eaters, drinkers, smokers
and "discussers."
Speaking of "discussers," a tradition was born during those
halcyon days: The Association developed the longest board meetings
of any institution, public or private, in the United States business
community. Of course this was a necessity since there was always the
"crisis of the week" threatening our livelihood. Remember? ( 1 ) The
expansion of "Immediate Delivery" would mean that importers would
handle the follow-up entries themselves. (2) Duty Assessment By
Account (DABA) - No more individual entries just a monthly
accounting. (3) The (President Richard) Nixon surcharge which ruined
our Labor Day weekend in 1971. (4) The interminable discussions
about FIATA.
And Customs participated in our anxieties and apprehensions. No
more l collectors of political stripe. No more appraisers. What if
we merged the inspector and the examiner (now called 'import
specialist') into one job description ? Enforcement vs facilitation,
no more appraisers stores (what ever happened to the Elliott Fisher
machines?) ABI, the Von Raab era. (Does anyone recall that Rudy
Giuliani (now mayor of New York City) was a candidate for the
commissioners job at that time?) The FMC took action against one of
our members for misclassification of toys as "sporting goods" on an
import claiming participation by the broker in an attempt to violate
the Shipping Act by the foreign shipper! So what else is new ? All
were grist for our mill and allowed oratory free sway.
In spite of the doomsayers, through it all, the industry has
survived and prospered. Creativity in meeting the needs of a growing
sophisticated international trading community is forcing us to
improvise. For the most part, we are responding and the rewards are
there.
Why is it though, that as an industry we are thought of as being,
if not protectionist, at least obstructionist? Why do we say "No" at
the outset of every initiative undertaken by government even when we
know that the change is inevitable, and may ultimately benefit the
trading community, the U. S. economy and maybe even our industry ?
We seem to run scared instead of embracing the challenge of the
future. The world around us seems to recognize that. We do not view
ourselves as the professionals we are, which gives other entities
the rationale to enter our arena.
The opportunities for the broker/ forwarder/logistics
provider/consultant to manage international transactions- are there
for the taking, if we would only broaden our horizons. In a complex
and multi-dimensional field, we can do it more efficiently and more
economically than others. We fit the job description. It's up to us
to convince a burgeoning industry that we are its best defense and
best ally and believe ourselves that our future is secure.
