The Association was founded because at the time there was only a Forwarders Association and brokers were not represented.  Ted Rausch, one of the original founders says that the Association was built over conversations between Jim Burns, Jim Boyle and Jim Connors and himself. This gave birth to the first version of the S.F. Brokers Assn in the 1960s.

These pioneers saw that it was necessary to band together to further the growth of the trade and have a common voice when approaching various federal agencies as well as local, state and federal policy makers to lobby for the interests of the trade as well as the importing community. Little did they know how much more relevant their organization would be in addressing current security issues in a world that changes ever faster and with growing demands for higher levels of service and electronic capabilities.

Since its inception the Association has grown and changed, and many times advanced change, to the benefit of all stakeholders in the modern global supply chain.

As our missions statement says - we're driving powerful educational initiatives to ensure that our member companies have the most professional and up to speed staff to serve their clients. Through the dedication of our volunteer board and various committee chairs we have fostered a very close cooperation with local Customs & Border Protection, participating governmental agencies including U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food & Drug Administration and Fish & Wildlife. Our combined efforts have led to an environment where all stakeholders are working closely together to ensure that goods and services flow seamlessly across our borders, while each stakeholder is a highly active participant in maintaining the highest levels of security.

We offer at least 10 annual educational events, which typically are CCS accredited, as well as a bi-annual CHB basics class and a bi-annual CHB examination preparatory class. This class has one of the highest pass rates in the country, generally around 50% of students who sit for the exam pass - that is against a national average of 4% on the fall 2007 exam.

The organization is only as strong as its members, so please take an active role and join us. There are several ways that you can get your voice heard: