Leading carrier Maersk has become the first container shipping company to offer digital Ocean Customs Clearance to its customers, following the launch of a new service in seven European countries.
The shipping management platform, which can be used in Germany, France, Denmark, The Netherlands, Poland, UK and Spain, is set to simplify the process of moving cargo through a port, fostering a more efficient supply chain.
Wolfgang Lehmacher discusses the innovation of ports-as-an-app platforms in a recent Port Technology technical paper
Vincent Clerc, Chief Commercial Officer at Maersk, said: “This new one-stop-shop allows us to timely and efficiently handle export and import declarations for our customers.
“The solution provides downstream benefits of full governance and compliance, eliminates the need to provide a quote as pricing is displayed online, saving three to five minutes per quote.”
According to a statement, Maersk has piloted this solution for almost two years in Germany, testing its ability to save time often spent on transactional procedures.
Robert Weber from Speditionsabteilung at Neenah Gessner GmBH commented on the benefits of the platform: “It is perfect to book our service request only with one online platform without contacting further operational departments.
“We prefer local language and we appreciate collaboration between the responsible departments within Maersk. We welcome the possibility to have all Customs House Brokerage documents uploaded on the internet platform (quick plus easy handling).”
While the initial launch will only cover seven countries in Europe, Maersk plans to roll out the service globally by the end of 2019.
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