Latin American and Caribbean International Movers Association (LACMA)

The Latin American and Caribbean International Movers Association (LACIMA) represents a collection of moving and relocation companies with a view to encouraging integration of locally based businesses, as well as others across the world.

Key facts about LACMA:

Membership of LACMA is open to moving and relocation companies from Latin America and the rest of the world.
It is the Latin American association represented in FIDI.
It is based in Panama.
It acts as a mediator for any conflicts that might arise among its members, or between a member and others non-affiliated with the association.
It does not require their members to be FIDI affiliates as LACMA maintains its independent affiliation criteria.
LACMA has its own training institute that provides on-site and virtual seminars, including a training course for Packers Instructors.
It offers a payment guarantee program, which provides a resource for members looking to collect overdue amounts from other members within the association.
LACMA membership may be Active (Latin America or Caribbean businesses that are actively engaged in international moving and packing, with their own personnel, transportation, and storage facilities), Associate (businesses outside Latin America and the Caribbean that are engaged in international moving and packing), or Adjunct (Companies which provide useful goods and services to the members).
The organisation states: “FIDI Latin America represents 53 companies (FIDI-LACMA and FIDI-Non LACMA) within our region.’

Latin American and Caribbean International Movers Association profile

LACMA was created to represent the interests of its members and to set and maintain standards of services in the industry.

It is the FIDI organisation in Latin America and this gives it a certain credibility as it is recognised by FIDI as representative of the interests of FIDI affiliated companies of the region.

LACMA offers several types of membership, including Active and Associate. It also provides members with a broad range of e-learning, information and seminars to help improve knowledge and business efficiency – the LACMA Training Institute was founded in 1992 for the purpose of better educating members.

Members also benefit from certain protections, such as the payment guarantee program – designed to help chase amounts owed by other members – and the LACMA S.O.S. Program, which provides humanitarian aid to members caught up in the natural disasters that frequently affect this part of the world.

Criteria for membership:

Active members

Complete the membership application on the LACMA official form and provide the information requested, agree to comply with the LACMA By-laws and its Regulations, Code of Ethics and resolutions determined by the LACMA Board of Directors.
Provide sponsorship of five (5) LACMA Active Members.
Provide the Financial Statements, with their respective notes, of the last two years.
Provide the Corporate Charter of the company (required a minimum four years operations in the international moving industry).
Pay the Admission fee, the PGP initiation fee, the PGP and LACMA membership annual fees once the application process has been completed and the application has been approved.

Associate members

Complete the membership application on the LACMA official form and provide the information requested, agree to comply with the LACMA By-laws and its Regulations, Code of Ethics and resolutions determined by the LACMA Board of Directors.
Provide sponsorship of five (5) LACMA Active and/or Associate Members where at least two are from Associate Members.
Provide the Financial Statements, with their respective notes, of the last two years.
Provide the Corporate Charter of the company (required a minimum four years operations in the intl. moving industry).
Pay the Admission fee, the PGP initiation fee, the PGP and LACMA membership annual fee once the application process has been completed and the application has been approved

Adjunct members

Complete the membership application on the LACMA official form and provide de information requested, agree to comply with the LACMA By-laws and its Regulations, Code of Ethics and resolutions determined by the LACMA Board of Directors.
Provide sponsorship of (2) LACMA Active and/or Associate Members.
Pay the Admission fee, and the LACMA membership annual fee once the application process has been completed and the application has been approved. Please contact the LACMA Secretariat for the cited fees.
Provide proof that the product or service being offered has been commercialized for at least one year.

Sample Member Companies

Opinions about LACMA:

Information online indicates that LACMA members account for 90% of moves to and from the Latin American and Caribbean region. It is noted as being one of the most important international moving & shipping organisations.

Movers mention LACMA in the context of reassuring customers about standards of professionalism and geographical coverage. Its members are cited as being some of the best movers in the world and information online breaks down the membership as representing the following areas: “Europe 31%, The United States & Canada 26%, Latin America & The Caribbean 28% and Australia, Middle East and Far East 15%.”

Those movers who include LACMA on their websites are often from outside of the region but demonstrating their global reach with membership of the organisation.

LACMA is an association comprised of the finest Latin American and Caribbean international movers, accounting for over 90 percent of the moves to and from this region.

– Brytor International Moving

LACMA is the association that includes the best 260 moving companies of the world, mainly from Latin America and the Caribbean. Due to their prestige, they generate 90% of imports and exports carried out in Latin America.

– Mudanzas Internacionales Global

Website: http://www.lacmassoc.org/