All intercontinental container cargo now handled via Trust Chain

The Far East and Oceania are now also connected to the Trust Chain, the new safe and reliable way to release and collect import containers at the Port of Rotterdam. Deepsea shipping companies and their shipbrokers no longer issue fraud-sensitive PIN codes for containers arriving at the Dutch port from these regions. As a result, all intercontinental container cargo arriving in the port is now handled via the Trust Chain. Collection at the deep-sea terminals can only be done in the new, trusted way.

The Trust Chain is a proven contributor to more resilient port logistics, says Jan Janse, Head of the Seaport Police Rotterdam. ‘I dare to draw the conclusion that these measures have made the port substantially safer.’ Key to its success is the good cooperation of all links in the logistics chain, supported by various authorities.

Emails with PINs are a thing of the past

In the Trust Chain, parties involved pass on the right to pick up a container at the port securely to each other digitally. From the shipping company to the customer – the shipper or forwarder – via possibly an executive forwarder to ultimately the carrier. This creates a closed chain, with only known, reliable participants. E-mails with PIN codes are thus a thing of the past.

The recently completed introduction of the Trust Chain for the Far East and Oceania was preceded last year by that for containers from Latin America, North America, and Africa, the Middle East, India and Pakistan. The final phase will soon start, in which the deepsea shipping lines/shipbrokers will focus on the remaining container cargo for which they themselves send the exemption.

One uniform working method

In addition, the roll-out of the Trust Chain for Hapag-Lloyd customers will also begin. This shipping company stopped issuing PIN codes in 2022 and has since been working via Secure Container Release. In order to achieve one uniform working method in Rotterdam for the reliable release of import containers, Hapag-Lloyd will now link this platform with the Trust Chain.

All major deepsea shipping companies participate in the Trust Chain: CMA CGM, Cosco Shipping, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd (via Secure Container Release), HMM, Maersk, Marfret, MSC, ONE, OOCL, Yang Ming and ZIM. Since its launch, more than 1.1 million import containers have now been handled at the port of Rotterdam in the new way. Some 2,000 shippers/forwarders and over 1,000 carriers have adapted their methods for this purpose.