International Shippers Association
The membership of the International Shippers Association (ISA) comprises international shippers and forwarders of commercial, military, and government household goods; unaccompanied baggage; and general commodities. Membership is open to both IAM member companies and non-IAM members.
Incorporated in 1999 as a nonprofit cooperative buying group, ISA’s mission is to provide its members with the lowest rates (FCL and LCL) and best service for the transport of household goods, accomplished by establishing volume-induced discounts. These discounts are realized through contracts with preferred vendors.
ISA has had considerable success over the years in providing its members with consistent and competitive ocean rates for international military/government household goods shipments. Since its initial foray in 2010 in providing competitive civilian ocean freight rates to its membership, ISA container volumes have shown significant growth.
As with the military/government program, ISA receives commissions from its preferred vendors, which in turn can become the basis for patronage dividends to be paid back to its members.
If you are an ISA member and are not using ISA’s Commercial (Civilian) Ocean Preferred Vendors, you are encouraged to learn more about the ISA program, its vendors and how to become a member.
IAM Member Discount
IAM members receive a discount on membership in ISA. ISA annual dues for IAM members are only $400, plus a one-time initiation fee of $350. Membership in ISA is open to all entities who are shippers as defined in Section 3, paragraph (21) of the Shipping Act of 1984 as amended by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 1998, and is therefore open to non-IAM members. Non-IAM members pay annual dues of $750, with an initiation fee of $500.
The International Association of Movers provides administrative services to ISA for a management fee.
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ISA Officers
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Message from ISA Vice Chair Han Helders
I am very honored by the confidence ISA members have shown me by voting to confirm my serving as Chairman for the next two years. I want to invite all of you to participate in the governing of our association and in the programs that are now in place.
In its purest form, the International Shippers Association is a cooperative group that combines its members’ collective purchasing power to negotiate lower costs from our service providers. Our ocean transportation program has been and continues to be robust. The contract ISA has in place for American flag service, needed for international movement of US government traffic, is working well, with broad participation by almost all members that service these shipments.
Our commercial contracts in this arena have shown strong growth in the last couple of years. However, many ISA members are not using these contracts. I urge those members to review the vendors’ offerings and test their effectiveness in providing reduced costs for the trade lanes offered. After you do so, I welcome your input, positive or negative.
We will be looking at other arenas where ISA could potentially bring its collective purchasing power. One that comes to mind is air freight, a very competitive arena where ISA members could greatly benefit from a collective approach with the airlines and consolidators. Are packing materials something we could tackle for our members that operate moving and storage operations? I look forward to your comments.
I wish all ISA members a successful year ahead.