The Freight Forwarders Association (Spediporto) was founded in 1946, when trade was established again after WWII. At that time, 13 companies did understand the importance of this category and decided to establish an association, this was the starting point of an association which would turn into one of the most lively and active associations in the Ligurian context.

The firs President of this Association was Mr. Ugo Musso, who acted as President up to 1948, after him, twelve Presidents followed, up to today's President, Ms. Roberta Oliaro.

The years between 1950 and 1970 were characterised by a number of important innovations that deeply affected the organisational structure of individual companies: during those years – and especially at the end of the 1960s – containers were now used on the market; another issue was then raised, the reservoir of port labour, which caused a lot of tension.

At the beginning of the 70s, Spediporto had to face and find the solution for a serious problem related to Shipping Companies, and connected to the changes in work shifts, as well as the subsequent increase of the fixed costs of management. Its mediation contributed to solve this situation thanks to the opening to service industries for external services – both customs and port services – which would come to an end in the 80s.

After the long crisis of the port of Genoa, trade movements started again, and from 1992 onwards, the Association of Freight Forwarders was again the reference point for this category. In line with the new needs of logistics, forwarding agents developed new entrepreneurial realities, such as the Multimodal Transport Operator and the Non Vessel Operator for container groupage.

The Genoa Association of freight forwarders, couriers and transporters is now 60 years old and it is – thanks to the over 400 companies that it represents, more than 7000 employees and an overall turnover equal to more than two billions Euro – one of the most representative and dynamic associations of the Italian shipping sector. It is not only a reference point, Spediporto is also playing a central role within the trade and entrepreneurial system connected to the goods import and export in the Port of Genoa.

The Association is paying the greatest attention to the changes at the international level and works on key issues, such as telematics development, training, internationalization of companies, by implementing important sector-based initiatives, first of all the computerization of many essential documentary procedures used by the maritime sector in the port of Genoa; such activities contributed to the development – thanks to the help of Hub Telematica Scarl – of the E-Port telematics project, and Spediporto was one of the main actors.

Over the last two years, important investments in the computer sector were made, among which the E-Port project and Hub Telematica Scarl are the clearest examples; the future, which the Association wants to create, takes into consideration all those services dedicated to its members.
To achieve these goals, Spediservices S.R.L. was founded: it is a service company, whose goal is supporting the growth of this sector's companies.

Support to shipping activities is also based on to a precise connection and optimization work dedicated to establishing relations to the other port categories and workers.

That is why, the Genoa Association of freight forwarders, couriers and transporters has lately launched – in collaboration with the Department of Economics of the University of Genoa – the development project of the first Italian “Charter of Port Services”, which is being written in collaboration with all representatives of port users; what this charter aims at is finding a definite directory position within Genoa's port system.

This project aims at defining port quality by setting out tasks beforehand, as well as time schedules, and performance guarantees of all actors working within the port  cycle (such a project is the first attempt of this kind at the European level, each category - and shipping agents are in the front line - needs to contribute by listing the operational goals which it wants to achieve in relation to the other actors of the operational line, and thus those rights which could be mutually enjoyed).