Following the announcement that the UK will be leaving the European Union, the trade association that represents UK freight forwarders says in the run-up to that exit it will campaign to ensure that the movement of the UK's visible import and export trade does not become unduly burdened by overly complicated trade procedures.

The British International Freight Association (BIFA), the trade association for UK freight forwarders, says that 2016 will see its members continuing to face numerous challenges, with some the result of legislative changes and government policy, rather than economic issues.

Trade between the European Union and Canada is already very strong – and growth is expected to continue as a result of an historic new trade agreement now being finalized in Ottawa, according to the British International Freight Association. The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is said to be Canada’s most ambitious trade initiative, broader in scope and deeper in ambition than the North American Free Trade Agreement.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) says the international freight decline of 2.3 percent in the first three months of 2013, on a 0.3 percent drop in capacity, is a "temporary stall".

The EU has recently announced the official launch of negotiations for a free trade agreement with Japan. The agreement would cover goods, services and investment, and would eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers, and cover other trade-related issues, such as sustainable development, regulatory issues, competition and public procurement.