Interview with President of International Multimodal Transport Association

On Sept. 6-7, 2007, 3rd China International Container ＆Intermodal Transportation Conference was held in Beijing, China. Shippingchina.com had pleasant communication on intermodal transportation with Ms. Mahin Faghfouri, President of International Multimodal Transport Association.

1. Shippingchina.com：OK, now I just in the pride of a journalist and some patience to you Ms. Faghfouri. Today for the Intermodal Transportation Convention, I think it really successful.
And today you have very good presentation, so Shippingchina.com would like to interview with you and have some questions for you.
And first question is that today you said for the legal environment for intermodal transportation. What do you think the legal environment in China to develop intermodal transportation in China? What’s your idea?

Ms. Faghfouri: I mentioned that in China, you have 3 different sets of rules and regulations which could apply to multi-modal transport.
You have got maritime code in 1993 which could apply to multi-modal transport.
You have got contract law which could apply in certain circumstances to multi-modal transport in the absence of other law.
And do you have regulation on international multi-modal transport on container in 1997? So you do have the 3 different sets of rules and regulations which could apply to multimodal transport and different situations.
So um, well, I don’t know what any decision is taken to in recent time to coordinate it. I don’t know if it is sort of understand one of the intervention that is the process of amendment of maritime law or multi-modal. But I think it could be important to coordinate sea laws together to see what we apply in situation and which law we apply and in fact provisions of maritime code in China and contract law. I mean general multi-modal laws and regulation.
I understand they are not law but only regulations which apply in the absence of law.
They are more comprehensive. So I think there will be need to give some confirmation to this situation to see more future of the multi-modal transport.
Multi-modal transport China is a big trading mansion in China.
There are a lot of multi-modal chances, global multi-modal chances. I don’t know if it could give confirmation to harmonizing to have one set of rules to apply to multi-modal transport. And I think this is my view of China.
Few years ago, I worked in the United Nations.
I tried first to find out what’s the situation of multi-modal legal environment in different countries and different details.
That’s why I sent letter to all governments to let them send me the copies of their national laws and regulations on multi-modal transport and that’s why I had very good cooperation with China and former Premier Zhu Rongji.
He sent me all the 3 sets of regulations and we discussed together and then I wrote in a document published later.
It is the whole of the multi-modal transport regulations including China. I think Premier Zhu had translated that document into Chinese. And that document is really available in Chinese.

2. Shippingchina.com: The second question is that today as you said in your presentation, you tried on education for intermodal. I want to know do you have specific plan for training and education in China?

Ms. Faghfouri: No, no, no, I think in China you are very specialized. I don’t have particular program for training in China.
I am only very happy to come and speak in conferences in China. We don’t have any particular training program in China.

3. Shippingchina.com: By the way, is this your first time to China or you’ve been here for many times?

Ms. Faghfouri: It is the 2nd time to China.

4. Shippingchina.com: What’s the first time?

Ms. Faghfouri: In 2002, I was invited by COSCO and I came for the conference and organized a 2 days seminar on multi-modal transport and I really enjoyed it.

5. Shippingchina.com: Now the purpose of intermodal transport is to reduce the cost and make efficiency for international trade. But now the situation in the world is that the demand is over supply. It means more international trade, less vessel to supply for shipping. In this way, the freight is higher and higher. It is not good for international trade. For the association, do you have any idea how to control the situation?

Ms. Faghfouri: I mean this is supply and demand situation and of course, in China which is developing so fast , there are a lot of demand and a lot of capacity.
But I think it really comes. I am optimistic and I don’t need to prevent development.
You cannot stop multi-modal transport. Multi-modal is the transport of the future. It is the logistics services door to door. And shippers want convenience, security and efficiency of multi-modal transport, because multi-modal transport is for development no matter what it is.

6. Shippingchina.com: Intermodal is a system. For example, road, railway, airway and sea transportation, it’s a big system. I think it’s very new now. And do you have any idea when inter-modal will be popular in the world?

Ms. Faghfouri: Popular?
Port to port transport is very limited. Container now goes inland door to door. So it is more efficient and have more benefits.
Proper infrastructure and proper functioning, such as physical roads, customs, ports, inland transportation and also the interchange between the modals should be established. I think you need to promote these functions for multi-modal transport.
In developing countries, the infrastructure is not that proper, not functioning. There should be proper road, the capacity, efficient customs, etc. You need to have efficient system in order to have efficient multi-modal transport.
Training is important for the providers and users to know what you are doing. There are a lot of misconceptions about multi-modal transport. I think training is very important.
You have to use these elements to help potential multi-modal transport.

7. Shippingchina.com: OK, the last question, today you said for intermodal transportation, there should be one contract, one party and one person and one document. And I think the key problem is one document. Do you have the idea how to solve this problem for one document?

Ms. Faghfouri: Education, information. You should have information provided.
Shippers should have got to know what type of documents they should deal.
Shippers want to use one document for the entire multi-modal transportation no matter how many more to use instead of dealing with so many documents. It must be effective.
You need to harmonize and you need to give them right. Shippers also have to got to know what kinds of documents they should ask for.
I think it is import to promote knowledge and promote internationally recognize use of document.

8. Shippingchina.com: Thank you, Ms. Faghfouri, for promoting intermodal in China. And also wish you some time to visit Dalian. Dalian is a very good and nice city.
Nice to meet you in China.

Ms. Faghfouri: Nice to meet you. Thank you very much.