Release of containers from Latin America through Chain of Trust from March 31

From March 31, shipping companies and their shipbrokers will only release all containerized cargo from Latin America through the so-called Chain of Trust at the Port of Rotterdam. Collecting containers using pin codes will stop. Only the carrier authorized by the chain of trust can access the terminal.

From then on, all import containers from South America arriving at the port of Rotterdam will only be released via Via. chain of trust. The new way of working ensures a closed logistics chain with known, authorized parties.

No more pin codes

In a chain of trust, companies digitally transfer to each other the right to collect a container from a terminal. Only a carrier authorized by the Trust can go there. Collection of containers with pin codes will be discontinued as this can be misused. This way the containers will continue to disappear.

“The era of widely shared pin codes via e-mail is over. In the trust chain, all the information needed for the safe and reliable collection of a container is transferred digitally from link to link,” said a spokesperson for the chain.

Big change

The trust chain was created to make Dutch port logistics more resilient to unwanted external impacts. Its implementation requires action from everyone in the logistics chain. It starts with the shipping company/ship broker and continues through the shipper, forwarder and carrier (truck, rail, inland shipping) to the terminal. A chain of trust represents a new way of working for all these parties.

“The impact of the chain of trust cannot be underestimated. This is a completely new and unique method of releasing and collecting containers. It is a big change for the entire logistics chain. Not only the direct customer of the shipping company is transferred, but the entire chain behind it must work through the trust chain.

Digital is more flexible

CMA CGM, COSCO Shipping, Maersk, MSC, ONE, OOCL and ZIM are shipping companies/shipbrokers sailing from Latin America to Rotterdam. They connect their customers step by step. HMM, Yang Ming and (soon) Evergreen are also live with TrustChain. After importing containers from Latin America, shipping companies/ship brokers gradually implement a chain of trust for incoming deep-sea containers.

Trust Chain is a collaborative effort between the business community and government agencies to make existing port logistics more digitally resilient. A key part of this is the safe and reliable release and collection of import containers in Dutch ports.

portbase

TrustChain operates mostly through PortBase's PortCommunity System, a neutral logistics platform for Dutch ports. On top of many existing digital services, Portbase has built an additional authentication layer for this purpose. The right to collect a container is passed securely from link to link. Everyone can work very efficiently. For example, participants benefit from smart reuse of data and gain optimal insight into the status and planning of import containers throughout the chain.