...

€EUR

Blog

Maersk and IBM Go Live with TradeLens – The Global Blockchain Trade Platform

Alexandra Blake
by 
Alexandra Blake
9 minutes read
Blog
October 10, 2025

Maersk and IBM Go Live with TradeLens: The Global Blockchain Trade Platform

This rollout marks a shift toward a near-real-time shared ledger linking ports, terminals, feeder networks, carriers across multiple regions; this effort reduces manual packing lists, shortens arrival times; delivering neutral data that operators can trust without third-party reconciliation.

Sites include netherlands ports, kastrup hub; this delivers data that enables both shippers, forwarders to operate without reconciliation delays. A single set of packing lists aligns to arrival calendars, reducing miscounts.

Commitment to sustainability shows up via fewer port calls, shorter dwell times, lower fuel burn. This tech kit likely yields measurable gains for globe-spanning operators when adopting neutral data sharing standards. A clear manual transition plan accompanies a chaingo-powered telemetry layer, linking packing, arrival, and scheduling.

Operational means include a set of APIs; event streams; routing logic that connect feeder, port, trucking legs. This yields a positive signal for finance, operations, compliance teams. very clear ROI appears within weeks; dwell times shrink; packing errors decline; lists stay synchronized across both major hubs, regional nodes.

Neutral data governance minimizes disputes, while an auditable trail supports governance across netherlands terminals, kastrup arrival lanes, other importing nodes. This aligns to commitments regulators sought; customer expectations follow. This supports sustainable outcomes, trimming wasteful checks, expediting shipments.

For operators embracing this transition, a phased rollout yields tangible gains: onboarding teams, updating manuals, aligning packing lists with arrival windows. Stakeholders should plan a 90‑day cycle: pilot node, feedback, full scale; metrics cover throughput, costs, carbon footprint. This approach boosts interoperability, efficiency, resilience across globe; expectations stay positive, while cautious.

Section 1: Onboarding and partner identity checks

Recommendation: implement a centralized onboarding framework designed to verify partner identity rapidly. Identity checks rely on lists from trusted providers; authority criteria include government-issued IDs; including licenses. Efficiency gains come from automation across globe coverage; actually reduces manual checks; scalable decisioning. Providers backed by several institutions supply verified data; coverage expands to others within networks, enabling faster acceptance of new units. When profiles arrive, automated checks run against credential data, ensuring only verified entities join this ecosystem.

Practical unit-level workflow ensures onboarding remains smooth. When requests arrive, identity checks rely on lists from external sources; governance checks cross-reference data across multiple providers. Initiative covers risk scoring; background validation; documentation requirements. Several checks include licensing, corporate status, business activity. Difficult cases escalate to a dedicated authority unit; decisions inform other partners, enabling sharing of verified data across globe. Partners found compliant gain access to an expanding ecosystem of services, backed by trusted data, documented procedures.

Section 2: Data formats and validation across channels

Recommendation: define a canonical data model; enforce strict schema at every ingress point; align readers, producers, processors across channels.

  • Canonical formats: JSON for events; XML for documents; CSV for bulk updates; EDIFACT references when relevant.
  • Validation framework: central schema registry; versioned schemas; per-channel validation rules; automated ingress checks; clear error codes for upstream systems.
  • Channel mappings: each channel maps to canonical model; transformation rules published; traceability maintained; change logs kept for auditing.
  • Governance programme: management group established; cross-functional programme design; a shared data dictionary defined jointly; sustainable data practices; capital allocated to tooling.
  • Visibility metrics: real-time dashboards across channels; data quality KPIs; quick detection of anomalies; shared updates with partners.
  • Implementation plan: pilot in one region; scale to larger volumes; year milestones; measured outcomes include reduced rework; faster settlement; improved visibility.

Shared data flows increase visibility; management told stakeholders that a sustainable programme jointly supported by partners yields benefit; first milestones aim to improve traceability; capital stays allocated to handle large transactions; shares gained quickly; year by year, another product line becomes feasible; developing capabilities stay focused; just enough to demonstrate capital efficiency.

Section 2: Access rights and permissioning

Section 2: Access rights and permissioning

Implement strict RBAC with minimum-privilege access; pair identity verification with auditable logs.

Define authority boundaries by role; some roles include shippers, vessels operators, logistics managers, compliance officers, system administrators.

Data segmentation by party type; some parties access only the point of data relevant to their role; shared data points are kept to a minimum.

Adopt ABAC or RBAC hybrid; tie permissions to attributes such as location, time; enable swift revocation.

Audit trails are immutable; every access attempt, credential change, or export logged for traceability.

Auditable logs provide credibility gained by shippers.

kastrup chairs governance; management participation ensures large-scale buy-in across companies, partners, parties; sense of control grows.

Onboarding accelerates access for shippers, vessels, logistics groups; reduces churn, raises trust.

Enabler mindset: a lightweight, auditable access model grows confidence across competitors, regulators, customers.

Key metrics: ratio of revoked credentials, time to revoke, percent of roles with minimal privileges.

Access models

RBAC remains simple for stable roles; ABAC adds context such as location, time, or organization, making permissioning easy to tailor.

Governance; onboarding

kastrup drives a partnership approach; track effort, commitment; conformance triggers quick wins; convince some companies to join.

Section 3: Tamper-evident records and audit trails

That design is a tamper-evident ledger model designed to maintain immutable records, featuring timestamped entries, cryptographic seals, cross-system verification. This solutions approach reached maturity by combining distributed storage, smart contracts, cryptographic proofs, backed by a joint governance layer including providers, customs authorities, carriers. Within this configuration, real-time visibility is achieved; auditors reached verification quickly, gaining a sense of provenance at each step. This framework should help regulators, reducing costs, speeding up audit cycles for maritime companies, suppliers, logistics firms; obviously, this approach gained trust across the sector.

That joint model should employ cryptographic hash chaining; time-stamps; distributed storage; cross-system verification. This configuration eliminates retroactive edits by sealing each entry to the immediate history, creating a verifiable trail; auditors reached verification within seconds. Role-based access; separation of duties; immutable logs; backed by a strict governance policy that prevents leakage of sensitive details while preserving provenance across supply chain nodes.

Different stakeholders benefit from a transparent, tamper-evident record model. Providers across shipping, freight, customs tied via secure APIs should align on data schemas; the joint approach yields higher trust, lower costs, better compliance. Within this arrangement, traceability signals from origin to destination improve risk assessment; smart contracts automate checks, trigger alerts, enforce policy. thats collaborative model is designed to scale across multiple jurisdictions. In difficult jurisdictions, the model should adapt via modular adapters; Thats advance improves efficiency for maritime players, suppliers, insurers, regulators.

Costs took a bite initially; long-term benefits include faster clearance times, reduced dispute resolution cycles, fewer retroactive corrections. To maximize outcomes, offerings should be modular; lightweight adapters align with existing workflows, reducing disruption for different companies. This shift proves beneficial for customs cooperation; freight forwarders; shipper networks, while keeping storage and processing loads within manageable limits. This advance reduces manual checks, increases automation, and improves cost accounting across the supply chain.

Based on prior sections, the implementation should proceed in four steps: 1) define data schemas; 2) deploy hash-chain ledger across core nodes; 3) rollout access controls; 4) validate end-to-end audit trails. Each step yields measurable metrics: tamper-detection latency, audit-cycle duration, data availability. This approach advances trust, improves compliance, yields clearer cost accounting for customs authorities; maritime operators; supply-chain partners.

Section 3: Immutable logs for shipments

Section 3: Immutable logs for shipments

Recommendation: deploy major ledger nodes at terminals, ports, hubs; ensure every event is captured in a tamper‑evident, hash‑linked log; origin terminal to globe across involved networks, involving port authorities; sharing provides источник of truth expressed as immutable records; white plans describe cost controls; secure access; cross-system synchronization; these measures reduce dispute risk during arrival, left cargo events, portic handoffs; every update must be time-stamped, location tagged, auditable; always on; able to scale; while applying smart governance, leading practices, others regions tighten; where results show improvement, plans reached.

Data model details: shipment_id, event_type, timestamp, location, terminal, vessel_id, voyage_id, status, operator; each log carries a hash pointer to prior entry; events include arrival, departure, portic clearance, loading, unloading; where applicable, quickly propagate across systems; status evolution mirrors real-time reality; these entries linked via chaingo; erdly metadata preserves provenance; источник anchors future audits; globe-wide plans support sustainable sharing; cost controls remain white under policies; involving multiple parties across zones; major transparency improves reliability.

Implementation plan and metrics

Rollout steps: pilot at two portic sites; migrate legacy logs to immutable store; integrate white channels; cost baselines set by plans; monitor metrics: log completeness, latency, error rate; arrival events captured; globe access controlled; sustainability targets reached; able to scale across involved networks; leading roles assigned; periodic reviews monthly; chaingo fosters ongoing provenance.

Section 3: Compliance reporting and dashboards

Recommendation: deploy a centralized compliance reporting module delivering full visibility into the trade lifecycle. Automated dashboards pull standardized event data, yielding audit trails required by government authorities. This announcement signals a major upgrade for traders seeking efficiency. Solutions built around common data models reduce toil for portic customs bodies; capital markets benefit equally.

Program began with mapping essential data lists; standard event definitions; risk indicators.

Customs checks become easy via a unified event feed.

That works as a practical means for regulators.

Major benefit includes full visibility; improved efficiency; faster anomaly detection.

Lists of risk indicators; compliance obligations; trading obligations are published for internal teams.

This thinking centers automation; portic workflows operate via standardized triggers; risk controls tighten.

Trading processes benefit from a single source of truth regulators rely on.

Deployment milestones target working data pipelines; escalation workflows; regulator-facing reports.

Pilot in the largest portic hub demonstrates core metrics becoming reliable quickly.

Lists of required data points expand to include customs declarations; trading lifecycle events; cargo risk signals.

Benefits emerge as automated checks save time; traceability improves; governance audits become smoother.

Expert guidance supports government compliance teams; ensuring accuracy of reporting; facilitating budget planning, capital management.

That means working capital improves; some agencies require fewer manual submissions; overall efficiency rises.

Start by consolidating data into a single schema; establish a standard KPI set; publish dashboards for stakeholders.

Announcement logistics support a scalable rollout across teams; portic expert participation accelerates adoption.

That enables major improvements in efficiency; governance clarity increases; working relationships strengthen across customs authorities.

That same approach turns chaingo thinking into concrete working practices; easy to scale; that remains resilient under regulatory change.

Teams adjust themselves to evolving regulations; mutual monitoring enhances accountability; the underlying means become clearer for risk governance.

Even small changes yield measurable gains.

Thats the mindset behind rapid iteration.