Maersk en IBM stoppen TradeLens, waarmee de blockchain-gebaseerde mondiale handelsplatform wordt beëindigd

Adopt an open, modular data fabric now to replace TradeLens and its blockchain-enabled approach. The current move by Maersk and IBM signals a shift toward multi-party interoperability rather than a single-venture solution. Build an original strategy that interoperates with existing networks and provides clear upgrade paths ahead of any new pilot.

The effect lands most on agencies and large shippers. To reduce risk, map data flows across domestic and cross-border operations, with a focus on interoperability. rotem leads a small taskforce to document current data fields and plan automated handoffs to carriers like cargox and other offerings. Soon, standards will enable more transparent invoicing, shipment milestones, and risk alerts.

From a finance perspective, reduce capital tied to a single platform. This path is very practical for CFOs. A current suite of offerings can be repurposed to support automated document flows, trackable payments, and credit checks. latest data shows financial institutions want lighter risk models and faster settlement, which means new vendors must offer robust APIs into ERP and TMS systems. For domestic trade, ensure continuity by relying on proven services from providers like cargox and other software-backed ecosystems.

Architect an interoperable layer using open standards and software components that can be enabled across partners. Build an automated data fabric that ingests shipment data, finance documents, and regulatory statuses, then publishes events to carriers via APIs. This reduces chokepoints and prepares for a future where multiple platforms coexist into a single, reliable view.

In the year ahead, tell leadership and stakeholders to publish an execution road map soon and to keep pace with regulator expectations. Teams were told to publish the road map with clear milestones. Tell them that the plan is to wind down TradeLens while preserving core data capabilities for domestic and cross-border flows, with a clear timeline and risk controls. given regulatory input, the team can adjust; this approach keeps current operations stable while moving to multi-vendor solutions.

TradeLens discontinuation: practical implications and the path toward new objectives

Adopt a phased digitisation roadmap that replaces the TradeLens approach with a blockchain-enabled platform anchored in common data standards. Launch a controlled pilot among 3–5 groups to test full visibility across transport and supply transactions; the platform allows these groups to validate efficiency gains before broader rollout and to identify delay points that can be mitigated early.

Changes in governance, data sharing, and risk controls will occur as suppliers, carriers, freight forwarders, and financial partners join the effort. Always align data access with consent and policy. When data is provided by each party, a core platform offers trust, while external groups can publish or consume data without exposing sensitive details, preserving privacy yet enabling visibility across supply chains.

In finance and processing workflows, the shift supports real-time settlement, reduced manual reconciliation, and lower operating costs. The platform enables consented data sharing for invoicing, port charges, and cargo release, while still maintaining control for each party. With a million events processed daily, the system will show tangible efficiency gains and lower cycle times.

To prevent further delay, establish clear milestones, a shared consensus model, and a governance body that includes representatives from logistics groups, banks, and regulators. Provided with unified data standards and a single source of truth, the ecosystem can move toward continuous improvement. The latest guidance recommends modular components that can be joined progressively and replaced as needed.

What actions to take now: map current transactions and data gaps; define a digitisation blueprint with phased pilots; secure multi-party commitments to data sharing rules; run parallel pilots–blockchain-enabled and alternative options–to compare performance. This staged approach enables efficient platform adoption, supports a broad set of supply and transport moves, and sets up a path for long-term objectives, with transparency and trust as core principles. Several groups have already expressed readiness, and parties told that the objective is to reduce friction in cross-border trade and improve processing times.

What TradeLens aimed to deliver: core objectives, use cases, and data sharing

Adopt a shared, permissioned ledger to bring real-time visibility behind every handoff, enabling groups and agencies to interact securely and move decisions faster when the condition of the shipment changes, while tracked consignments reduce lost assets.

The first objective was to standardize data and reduce friction across parties. Standard formats and a common data pool unlocked economic value, enabled easy access to trusted information, and produced savings across the industry.

Core use cases included end-to-end visibility for shipments, real-time tracking of containers, digitized bills of lading, and pre-clearance workflows that speed customs checks. Across these use cases, parties could track transactions and bring data into financing decisions with higher confidence.

Data sharing relied on defined access controls, where each participant can view or contribute data under specific conditions. Security and privacy safeguards enabled easy visibility among carriers, shippers, forwarders, regulators, and banks, while preserving control over who can see what. The model supported very timely updates through continuous data feeds and ensured the information stayed traceable and auditable.

To reproduce this value in future systems, adopt clear governance, open standards, and scalable onboarding that accelerates adoption across the industry and enables cross-border data exchange where needed, ensuring interoperability through diverse partners and regulatory environments.

Why the project was discontinued: governance, ROI, and scale considerations

Terminate the current initiative and reallocate resources to a lean, governance-driven roadmap that delivers modular, scalable solutions with a clear ROI path. Pause beta deployments announced to date and focus the platform on providing core data visibility to a defined number of groups across shipping, ports, and logistics operators, reducing vessel and document-flow complexity and limiting blockchains to a single core network.

Facing governance fragmentation, the effort relied on several multifunctional groups with unclear decision rights. If the wish is to scale quickly, define a lean structure with 3–4 groups: operations, technology, and commercial, plus risk and compliance as a standing advisory. Each group holds explicit mandates and SLA-like goals. Use a simple charter and two-week decision cycles; automate reporting to keep users informed with transparency dashboards. Some participants should be given clear veto rights on high‑risk items, avoiding bottlenecks in daily processing.

ROI realities drive the conclusion: the software and data-processing benefits seen in pilots did not translate into durable savings when scaled. Lost value arose from onboarding costs, integration friction with legacy systems, and limited available data from partner groups. Projections for a broad rollout suggested only modest ROI, with risk of negative payoff if participation dwindled.

Scale considerations: to reach thousands of users and many vessels, the platform would need standardized interfaces, defined data formats, and automated onboarding pipelines. The beta experiments showed use cases could expand, but sharing data across multiple participants raised governance and confidentiality concerns. A deal-based approach with limited scope and clear data-sharing rules would be easier to execute than a full deployment into multi-party networks.

Given these learnings, the path forward targets a narrower, modular solution available to key users and vessel operators while governance is strengthened. The plan includes sunsetting the current platform, preserving processed data for compliant access, and launching a targeted beta with a small number of partner groups. We will explore a single-blockchain core with standard APIs and a transparent mechanism to measure ROI, while continuing to pursue deal opportunities and practical solutions aligned with industry needs.

Impact on stakeholders: shippers, carriers, forwarders, and regulators

Immediately establish bilateral data-sharing agreements and adopt interoperable APIs to preserve shipment visibility and protect revenue as TradeLens winds down.

Maersk and IBM announced the discontinuation of the blockchain-based TradeLens platform. They joined several major partners in moving away from a centralized ledger toward direct data exchange and sector standards. The change creates gaps in a number of touchpoints, but also opens opportunities to tailor data flows to each partner’s needs.

• Verzenders
  • Maintain visibility by setting up direct API exchanges with carriers and forwarders; ensure every shipment event is appended to shared records; target reductions in detention and demurrage costs and related dollars through faster exception handling.
  • Prepare for pork and other perishable streams with enhanced cold-chain data capture; ensure temperature logs and chain-of-custody events flow directly to downstream systems.
  • Join a third-party data pool or adopt a common data model to interoperate with partners who did not join new standards; pilot across several lanes to quantify improvements.
  • Establish governance to protect sensitive information while enabling interaction across partners; measure data quality and privacy challenges and set clear remediation steps.
• Vervoerders
  • Expedite system upgrades and adopt a common data model to reduce blind spots; implement APIs that exchange events directly with shippers and forwarders; monitor on-time performance and charging accuracy to stabilize finance processes.
  • Interact with partners to align on documentation and fee structures; reduce disputes that previously flowed through a single platform and created financial friction.
  • Quantify impact across several lanes from multiple routes; deploy a program to transform data flows and include third-party verification to improve trust.
  • Assess challenges such as data latency and interoperability and implement mitigation steps; ensure compliance with regulators in relevant jurisdictions.
• Forwarders
  • Coordinate with multiple carriers and shippers using standardized event streams; align on data exchange schedules to maintain visibility across the network; use a program to accelerate load matching and bill reconciliation.
  • Interact with regulators and customers to provide traceability for compliance; share aggregated metrics to improve risk assessment and planning.
  • Leverage continuous data exchange to expedite approvals in customs and finance processes; reduce manual re-entry of documents; append new data to existing records to maintain a single view.
  • Address data quality, governance, and access-control challenges; plan for backup options if a partner restricts data access.
• Regulators
  • Establish and publish a minimal data-exchange standard that partners can join directly; require third-party validators to ensure data integrity and exchange traceability; monitor trade flows and risk indicators.
  • rotem, a regulator liaison, notes the need for transparent metrics on risk, lead-time variability, and financial impact across lanes; request regular reports from carriers and shippers to maintain sightlines.
  • Set a transition timeline with concrete milestones to avoid a data-void; require entities to demonstrate compliance through program-based approaches rather than paper-based processes.
  • Address data privacy, cross-border data transfer, and consumer protection in the food supply (including pork); specify penalties for non-compliance and require robust controls for sensitive data.

Industry lessons: insights for future blockchain-enabled trade pilots

Start with a modular pilot anchored in a shared data model across current shipping and warehouse processes, with clearly defined KPIs and a fixed governance pattern. Harnessing digital records and Oracle feeds, this approach yields a measurable economic view for all participants and closes gaps in cooperation.

Adopt an industry-wide data standard for the event data, starting with common fields for shipment, bills, and inventory, so participants can a) compare results, and b) manage exceptions in real time.

Create a lean environment with a clear governance protocol, and establish authorization for shared data access, so parties can cooperate with minimal friction, and cooperation is built into the plan. Keep development iterative, with milestones every quarter and a feedback view from all partners ahead.

Track metrics such as transit times, compliance rate, and accuracy of digital records, and adjust the process as needed. Plan for annually scheduled reviews and allocate resources to your teams to support continuous improvement.

Use real-world examples from ships, warehouses, and ports to validate the potential of blockchains for trade finance and logistics. Some pilots part ways with legacy systems, yet the learnings help your view of what comes next.

Balance cost and value by pricing data sharing as a service, with a transparent model that aligns incentives across your partners. Include a plan for annually scaling up the pilot if results meet predefined thresholds.

New priorities for future initiatives: data standards, interoperability, and governance frameworks

Adopt a unified data standard today and require all partners to publish machine-readable cargo, temperature, and event records. This baseline, announced for cross-system use, should be supported by authorities and carry data smoothly between systems, enabling later extensions with minimal rework and clearer accountability.

Develop a multifunctional data model that covers shipments, temperature controls, containers, seals, and processing status, plus condition readings. Use consistent identifiers for payloads, parties, and locations to reduce reconciliation effort and support automated validation; model relationships that reflect real-world flows for more accurate analytics.

Establish interoperable interfaces: APIs with common semantics, standard event formats, and chain-aware data exchange that can connect TMS, WMS, ERP, and external platforms. Ensure processed updates propagate between participants such as brokers, freight forwarders, and carriers; this approach complements blockchain-based traces while harnessing open data principles and avoiding vendor lock-in.

Governance frameworks should define clear roles, responsibilities, and decision rights. Appoint authorities and publish guidelines for data quality, access, audit trails, and incident handling. Engage stakeholders jointly–endorsed by industry bodies and regulators–and establish escalation paths to address challenges promptly with engaged participants across warehouses and transit hubs.

Implementation plan emphasizes practical steps: run soon pilots in which forwarders and brokers test interoperability using real cargo movements and warehouse operations. Track key metrics, including cycle time reduction, data quality scores, and environmental readings; later scale to broader networks while maintaining strict privacy controls and consent regimes.

Expected outcomes include reduced friction across chains, improved visibility for shippers and authorities, and measurable potential gains in efficiency. By standardizing data, enabling interoperability, and strengthening governance, the ecosystem can carry its momentum forward, supported by examples from early adopters and continued engagement with engaged participants throughout the ecosystem.