Our Beginnings

CBAFF was established on July 1 1996 from an amalgamation of the NZ Society of Customs Brokers (founded 1921) and the NZ Institute of International Freight Forwarders Associations.

The merger, following deregulation the previous year, was the culmination of 18-months of discussions between the two organisations.

Inaugural president Trevor Gilbert told the first meeting that the move reflected the changes occurring within member companies’ businesses and also the maturity that each sector had achieved.

“To be relevant in today’s economy, our members have had to offer a full range of services. It is now time for the industry bodies to react similarly. The centralisation of our affairs in Auckland and the expansion of membership benefits are essential elements to our relevancy and we have responded accordingly .”

– Trevor Gilbert, CBAFF inaugural president