Stranded Container Ship Opens the Door for More Problems as General Average Declared Freight Forwarding Association Boss Advises Members on Liabilities UK – EGYPT – WORLDWIDE – As the dust, or rather the sand, settles on the blockage of the Suez Canal for six days last week so the operators of the vessel involved, Evergreen Marine Corp, announced a General Average, prompting the most influential of the UK professional bodies involved to remind its members of the necessary course of action they need to take. Virtually every freight forwarding agency worthy of the title trades in such cases under the terms of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) and the organisation reminds members there is, incorporated in the BIFA Standard Trading Conditions covering their contract with their clients, an indemnity concerning General Average costs in clause 20 D. Furthermore, Clause 22 states: