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Landmarks
1923
Formed in 1923, BCDTA was the first organisation to represent Britain's chemical and dyestuff traders, distributors and merchants.- Calvin Coolidge elected President of USA
- Ottoman Empire ends after 600 years with the founding of the modern Turkish Republic
- Crossword puzzles appear for the first time in newspapers in the USA
- First running of the Le Mans 24-hour race
- Demonstration of sound films (talkies) in New York
- Hubble shows that galaxies exist beyond the Milky Way
It was a time of rapid industrial growth. Though still in its infancy, the modern chemical sector was being built on a series of key discoveries and rapidly emerging process technologies. During the First World War, the fledgling industry had provided munitions and chemicals to fuel the war effort overseas and helped to deal with shortages at home.
A wave of important discoveries began to develop long-term commercial partnerships between pure and applied science. These advances brought the invention and manufacture of new pesticides, pharmaceuticals and photographic products.
1930
Just a few years later, the economic crash of the late 1920s decimated the industry and, by 1930, the Association's membership had fallen to less than 60 companies.
To protect industry, the Government of the day introduced a series of import controls and tariff barriers. During this period, BCDTA helped its members survive by preparing submissions to Government highlighting cases of unfair competition from imported products.
1939
With the outbreak of war in 1939, the Association provided a clearing-house for vital information on the restrictions applying to shipments and the movement of goods. It also provided the main channel of communication between the wartime Government and the industry - being asked by the Ministry of Supply, for example, to organise the distribution of 22 Lend-Lease pharmaceutical products. During the war, BCDTA membership once again returned to more than 100 companies.
1945
With the Allied victory in 1945 came a period of austerity. For six long years, the British economy had supported the war effort to the point of virtual exhaustion. In its aftermath, both industry and consumers were to suffer shortages. The chemical industry was no exception. Raw materials were in short supply and a return to peacetime conditions still a distant prospect.
1958
It took until 1958 for legislation imposing protective tariffs to be repealed and replaced by a single comprehensive measure, the Import Duties Act, which had long been advocated by the Association.
1961
In 1961, the Government introduced a General Licence covering imported dyestuffs and their chemical intermediates ending more than forty years of import controls by individual licence.
In the same year, a survey of BCDTA members revealed divided opinions on the perceived merits of joining the European Economic Community (EEC) - 50% were in favour, 15% against and 35% were undecided.
The late 1960s was a period of turbulent industrial relations, currency devaluation and interventionist Government policies - all of which seriously affected BCDTA members.
1967
BCDTA became affiliated to the Chemical Industries Association.
1973
Following the United Kingdom's entry into the EEC in 1973, the BCDTA joined the Fédération Européene du Commerce Chimique (FECC) - the umbrella organisation representing associations of chemical distributors throughout Europe. BCDTA plays an active part in the management, policy making and Annual Congress of the FECC. The year 1973 also marked BCDTA's 50th anniversary.
1980
BCDTA pioneered a national emergency response scheme for its members in partnership with the Chemical Emergency Centre. This initiative also created a database of chemicals, hazards and safe handling procedures which ever since has been a key source of information for emergency services nationwide.
1993
BCDTA launched a voluntary Responsible Care programme for its members.
1997
It became a mandatory term of BCDTA membership that all new members of the Association had to subscribe to its Responsible Care programme.
2000
May 2000, Extraordinary General Meeting vote made Responsible Care a condition of membership.
2003
In September 2003, BCDTA relocated it's offices from Croydon, Surrey to Crewe, Cheshire.
2006
Chemical Business Association, CBA
At the April AGM BCDTA members voted to change the name of the Association to Chemical Business Association, CBA. Following on from a 2-year strategy review, this name reflects the increasingly diverse nature of the member companies throughout the chemical supply chain and the key role played within the UK chemical industry.
2007
At its Annual General Meeting held on 25 April 2007, CBA member companies voted in support of a special resolution that, for the first time, allowed warehouse, transport and logistics companies to become full voting members of the Association.
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