The Secure Chain is essentially an agreement between the shipping line/ship agent and its customers. Ultimately, it is the shipping line/ship agent that determines the manner in which a container is released. The 12 largest deepsea shipping lines/ship agents in Rotterdam have decided to release containers through the Secure Chain. Shipping lines/ship agents in the shortsea sector will also start doing this in 2026. Given the responsibilities all parties have in terms of security and reliability, non-participation is not really an option. Furthermore, governments have expressly urged shipping lines/ship agents to prioritise the introduction of measures such as the Secure Chain in view of their substantial importance to society. If a shipping line/ship agent releases a container via the Secure Chain, everyone in the chain must participate. As an intermediate link, it is not possible to remove oneself from this process; this would mean the container consequently cannot be collected from the terminal.