Frequently Asked Questions

On the one hand, the Secure Chain makes the release and collection of import containers more secure and reliable. Both cargo and people are better protected. On the other hand, the smart reuse of data throughout the entire logistics chain ensures optimal insight into the status and planning of import containers. For more specific information on the benefits, please visit the homepage and the specific target group pages on this website.

At the heart of the development of the Secure Chain is the widely felt desire by authorities and the business community to increase the security and reliability of logistics chains. Collaboration is key in this respect. In logistics, data and cargo move from link to link. Every transition constitutes a potential risk. Through the Secure Chain, only familiar and released parties have access to specific information and are able to perform actions.

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/shipagents 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. 

The previous approach involving a PIN code sent by the shipping line/ship agent for collecting a container was open to potential abuse. These PIN codes were often widely shared within the chain. In principle, anyone in possession of the PIN code could collect the container. The Secure Chain puts an end to this. Each link digitally passes on the authorisation to securely collect a container to the next designated party. This creates a closed chain which only comprises familiar, authorised parties. They securely exchange ‘need-to-know’ information with one another. Furthermore, participants operationally benefit from the smart reuse of data and optimal insight into the status and planning of import containers 

Releasing a container means that the shipping line/ship agent makes it available to the customer for collection. This usually happens after the customer has completed all necessary payments. Until the moment of release, a container is blocked in the computer system of the terminal of arrival. The customer will not be able to collect the container.

Furthermore, a distinction is made between the container’s commercial release (by the shipping line/ship agent) and its release by Customs. To be able to collect a container at a terminal, both kinds of releases are required.

In the Secure Chain, each link digitally passes on the authorisation to collect a container to the subsequent link. This creates a closed chain with only familiar, authorised parties. They exchange ‘need-to-know’ information with one another in a secure manner. PIN codes are eliminated from the release and collection process and can therefore no longer be abused by unauthorised parties for illegally collecting containers and/or accessing container information. 

The previous approach involving a PIN code sent by the shipping line/ship agent for collecting a container was open to potential abuse. These PIN codes were often widely shared within the chain. In principle, anyone in possession of the PIN code could come and collect the container. The Secure Chain puts an end to this. Each link digitally passes on the authorisation to securely collect a container to the next designated party. This creates a closed chain which only comprises familiar, authorised parties. They securely exchange ‘need-to-know’ information with one another. Furthermore, participants operationally benefit from the smart reuse of data and optimal insight into the status and planning of import containers throughout the entire logistics chain.

The ultimate aim is for all deepsea and shortsea containers to be released and collected at the terminals via the Secure Chain. This means that all parties in these chains must participate at the instigation of the shipping line/ship agent: from the shipper, forwarder and logistics service provider to the inland operator (truck, train, barge) that collects the container at the terminal. A container that is released via the Secure Chain cannot be removed from the chain halfway through.

All containers arriving in Rotterdam under the supervision of the 12 largest deepsea shipping lines/ship agents are now being released through the Secure Chain. The focal point for 2026 is connecting the shortsea sector and (after that) the participation of the remaining deepsea parties. More information about the phasing is available here.

Yes, a start has now also been made with the gradual connection of the shortsea sector in the port of Rotterdam.

Ultimately, the way in which the Secure Chain works is quite straightforward; however, the process leading up to this proved extensive and time-consuming. Think of creating awareness throughout the entire logistics chain among a large number of different parties, for example, and process analysis, coordination with the community, realisation, testing, etc. Furthermore, a completely new operational approach is being introduced; changing habits and behaviour is not easy. 

The shipping line/ship agent that brings in the container by sea sets the Secure Chain in motion. Each shipping line/ship agent uses their own timeframe in that respect. Participating shipping lines/shipping agents have indicated that the introduction of the release via the Secure Chain will take place in a phased and controlled manner. In 2023, the initial focus will primarily be on high-risk containers, especially from South and Central America. Depending on the shipping line and/or customer, containers from other shipping areas may also be eligible. Each shipper/forwarder (the release-to-party) will be notified by the shipping line/forwarder in advance about the new operational approach. Would you like to know which shipping lines/shipagents are participating? Click here

Carrier haulage is an integral part of the Secure Chain. If you, in your capacity as an inland operator, have questions about carrier haulage, then please contact your shipping line/ship agent.

The technical implementation of the Secure Chain runs via the Port Community System of Portbase. All shipping lines/ship agents and many logistics service providers and inland operators already utilise Portbase’s services. For these existing services, they pay a subscription fee and a usage fee based on cost recovery. For the release and collection of containers via the Secure Chain, Portbase has managed to expand the relevant services with an additional authorisation layer in a cost-neutral way thanks to external financing.

To ensure the continuity and further development of releasing import containers through the Secure Chain, Portbase is now asking participating shipping lines/ship agents for a contribution of €0.50 per container. For other links in the chain that already operate through Portbase, usage of the services for the Secure Chain continues to be cost-neutral.

Shippers and forwarders new to Portbase can choose between the paid service Cargo Controller (with many extras) and the free basic service Cargo Release Manager. The latter service has been specifically designed for companies with only one or a few containers. For more information, please contact Portbase. Any required API interfaces involve separate fees related to the services provided by the company’s software vendor.

The development of the Secure Chain and its implementation via the services of Portbase have been made possible in part by the Port Alliance Rotterdam, the National Growth Fund / Digital Infrastructure Logistics (DIL) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. Port Alliance Rotterdam is a broad public-private partnership in which various government bodies (Police, Public Prosecution Service, Customs, Fiscal Information and Investigation Service, Municipal government, Tax Authorities, Harbor Master of Rotterdam, Regional Information and Expertise Centre) and private parties (Port of Rotterdam Authority, Deltalinqs) have consolidated all goals and measures aimed at boosting security in the port. DIL focuses on the further advancement of digitisation in logistics. The Port of Rotterdam Authority directly benefits from being an attractive, secure port and from the proper implementation of improvement measures to facilitate this.

The Secure Chain endeavours to boost the resilience of the (digital) port processes. A large number of parties have joined forces for the Secure Chain. Combined, the initiating parties represent all the links in the logistics chain: from shipping line/ ship agent, shipper and forwarder to the logistics service provider, inland operator (truck, train, inland shipping) and terminal. Also the Port of Rotterdam Authority, the Municipality of Rotterdam, Dutch Customs, the Seaport Police and several semi-public organisations support the Secure Chain. Portbase has been requested by the collaborating parties to focus on the technical realisation of certain aspects of the Secure Chain.

The government considers the implementation of the Secure Chain to be of the utmost significance, but it is not formally involved in its introduction. However, shipping lines/ship agents have been expressly urged to treat measures such as the Secure Chain with urgency due to their societal importance.

Click here for an overview of the initiators and partners who make the Secure Chain possible.

Within the Secure Chain, a control group comprising specialists bears responsibility for the progress and coordination with all stakeholders. Decisions about the rollout are taken during the consultation sessions that the control group has with the boards of the shipping lines/ship agents. In addition, coordination takes place with a broad representation from public and private parties. There are separate consultations with Portbase regarding the technical realisation.

Primarily, the new approach to releasing and collecting containers is initiated by the port business community, which also bears responsibility for the initiative. The Dutch government considers this matter highly important and supports these measures. For example, the Dutch and Belgian governments, the municipalities of Rotterdam and Antwerp as well as the managements of the shipping lines MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and Seatrade signed the ‘Declaration on the fight against cross-border organised drug crime’ in February 2023. This declaration features concrete agreements pertaining to the joint fight against organised crime in the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp. Among other things, this is reflected in the Port Alliance Rotterdam.

The Port Alliance Rotterdam (formerly known as the Implementation Agenda for the Port of Rotterdam) is a broad public-private partnership in which various government bodies (Police, Public Prosecution Service, Customs, Fiscal Information and Investigation Service, Municipal government, Tax Authorities, Harbor Master of Rotterdam, Risk Information and Expertise Centre) and private parties (Port of Rotterdam Authority, Deltalinqs) have been consolidating all goals and measures aimed at boosting security in the port for several years already. The Secure Chain is one of the many projects the partnership focuses on.

The implementation and scaling-up of the process for releasing and collecting containers via the Secure Chain has taken place in a phased and controlled manner. Phase 1 ran until the 31st of March 2024 and entailed all incoming container cargo from Latin America. In phase 2, which ended on the 30^th of June 2024, all containers from North America were added. In phase 3, which ran until the 1^st of October 2024, Africa, the Middle East, India and Pakistan followed. Since 3 February 2025, the new way of working has also been in force for cargo from the Far East and Oceania. With this, all intercontinental container cargo entering Rotterdam now falls under the Secure Chain.
For 2026, further expansion to other container cargo entering the port is planned, particularly in the shortsea sector.

The actions you need to take for the Secure Chain depend on the role you play in the logistics chain. At www.secure-chain.eu, under the menu option ‘How to act’, you can read about the actions required on your part. at https://www.portbase.com/en/secure-chain, you can find all information about the relevant Portbase service(s) for you.

The shipping line/shipagent that brings in the container by sea sets the Secure Chain in motion. Each deepsea and shortsea shipping line/shipagent individually informs and guides its customers (the party to whom the container is released) for the transition to the Secure Chain. Instructions for connecting are also available on the website under the ‘How to act’ menu. Want to know which shipping lines/ship agents are participating? Click here

An overview of all participating shipping lines/ship agents and terminals in the deepsea and shortsea sectors is available here.

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/shipagents 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. 

As a customer (the so-called release-to-party), you inform your chain partners about the steps they need to take to participate once you have received the announcement of your upcoming participation in the Secure Chain from the shipping line/ship agent. For this, you can use the information you received from the shipping line/ship agent, but you can also refer them to www.secure-chain.eu. Many logistics service providers and inland operators work for multiple clients and will quickly become familiar with the new operational approach.

In principle, participation in the Secure Chain constitutes an agreement between the shipping line/ship agent and its customer (the so-called release-to-party). If you are one of the links in the underlying chain, but do not feel confident that you are ready for participation yet — due to required system adjustments, for example -then it is important to contact your client. The Portbase services for the Secure Chain are not only available via a system interface, but also as web services. Click here for more information.

The customer code is the reference number by which you, as the customer (the so-called release-to-party), are known to the shipping line/ship agent. When the shipping line/ship agent announces that your containers will soon be processed through the Secure Chain, you will receive this customer code from them. As a customer of the shipping line/ship agent, you next inform your supply chain partners about the new procedure. This gives all parties ample time to prepare. Once everyone in your chain is ready, enter the customer code into your selected Portbase service – Cargo Controller or Cargo Release Manager. Doing so tells the shipping line/ship agent that you are ready and that you will start releasing the containers through the Secure Chain. Please note: If you are a customer of multiple shipping lines/ship agents, you will receive a separate customer code from each of them. More information about using the customer code is available here.

Whether you can instantaneously switch to the Secure Chain for all your cargo depends on the shipping line/ship agent. Each shipping line/ship agent independently determines the order and pace at which customers are connected. If you have not yet been contacted by the shipping line/ship agent (or only for a specific shipping area) and want to (further) speed up the connection process, then please contact your shipping line/ship agent.

At present, all attention is geared to the rollout of the Secure Chain for deepsea and shortsea containers via the port of Rotterdam. In the long term, it is possible that other Dutch ports may also opt for the Secure Chain solution and/or that other cargo flows will be handled via the Secure Chain as well. Technically, this is doable. After all, Portbase is the Port Community System of the Dutch ports.

The technical rollout of the Secure Chain takes place by expanding existing services in the Port Community System (PCS) of the Dutch ports by means of an extra authorisation layer. Parties in the port logistics chains have been quickly and conveniently exchanging digital data with one another via this PCS for more than twenty years already. T-Mining’s Secure Container Release is a separate blockchain solution. Of course, shipping lines/ship agents are free to make their own choice from the available solutions for releasing containers. In all cases, the inland operator will however always need to submit a pre-notification to the container terminal via Portbase prior to collecting containers.

Certified Pick-Up is the solution devised by Port of Antwerp-Bruges to make the release process in the port of Antwerp more secure. There are major similarities in the way Certified Pick-Up and the Secure Chain work, but major differences are present as well. The Secure Chain works supplemental to existing port processes and the available Portbase services to facilitate this. An authorisation layer has been added to these services. Users do not need to log in to a new, separate platform, but can simply continue working in their existing, familiar environment. Consequently, the smart reuse of data is always possible.

Parties that operate through both the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp will have to deal with two separate processes regarding the release of import containers. One common solution would have been ideal. However, the (local) processes and support systems in both ports differ to such an extent that the implementation of a common solution is highly complicated, especially also in view of the social pressure to quickly achieve improvements.

The technical implementation of the Secure Chain runs via Portbase, the Port Community System of the Dutch ports. Portbase has been able to expand the services that are required for the Secure Chain free of charge. A company only incurs costs for the services provided by its own software supplier in situations where an API interface is required.
For receiving the release and transferring authorisations, shippers/forwarders who are new to Portbase can sign up for the free basic service Cargo Release Manager service or for the paid service Cargo Controller, which offers many more options.

In principle, participation in the Secure Chain constitutes an agreement between the shipping line/ship agent and the shipper/forwarder (as the release-to-party). It is up to the shipper/forwarder to involve the subsequent links. In view of the responsibility each party bears in terms of security and reliability, no logistics party can factually ignore the Secure Chain though. Authorities have also expressly urged shipping lines/ship agents to take expeditious measures for the benefit of society. Once a container has been released via the Secure Chain, it must run through the Secure Chain until collection at the terminal.

Ultimately, the way in which the Secure Chain works is quite straightforward; however, the process leading up to this proved extensive and time-consuming. Think of creating awareness throughout the entire logistics chain among a large number of different parties, for example, and process analysis, coordination with the community, realisation, testing, etc. Furthermore, a completely new operational approach is being introduced; changing habits and behaviour is not easy. 

Should the Portbase services experience a disruption, then an emergency procedure is in place for participants. The quickest way to verify whether a service is indeed experiencing a disruption is to subscribe here to status updates about the service(s) relevant to you. More information is available at Availability PCS – Portbase Support.

The Secure Chain is a collaboration between public and private parties. In the preliminary phase, the initiating parties determined that all data exchange within the Secure Chain would be facilitated via the services of Portbase. Of course, shipping lines/ship agents have the option of choosing a different solution for the secure and reliable release of containers. In all cases, the inland operator will however need to submit a pre-notification to the container terminal via Portbase prior to the collection of the container.

Portbase operates according to the highest security standards. Security measures are both visible and invisible. Click here for more information

Portbase is a not-for-profit organisation whose shareholders are the Port of Rotterdam Authority (75%) and Port of Amsterdam (25%). Portbase is neutral, independent and operates on a non-profit basis.

A Port Community System (PCS for short) constitutes the digital infrastructure of a port. Via the PCS, (port) companies exchange data with authorities and with one another. Through the smart reuse of data, all core processes in the port logistics chains can consequently be digitally handled in a fast, efficient and secure manner. Portbase is the organisation responsible for the PCS of the Dutch ports. Click here for more information

Portbase manages the Port Community System (PCS) of the Dutch ports. It is the ambition of Portbase to make the logistics chains of the Dutch ports as attractive as possible through one single gateway. From mandatory notifications to the Harbor Master and authorities to secure data exchange between companies and the management of rights and access to data: the PCS enables all parties in the logistics chain to exchange information faster, more efficiently and at lower costs. The aim is to transform the Dutch ports into the smartest in Europe. Portbase is neutral, operated by and for the port community and does not have a profit motive. The PCS currently has more than 5,000 participating companies with approximately 25,000 users. Click here for more information

The implementation and scaling-up of the process for releasing and collecting containers via the Secure Chain has taken place in a phased and controlled manner. Phase 1 ran until the 31st of March 2024 and entailed all incoming container cargo from Latin America. In phase 2, which ended on the 30^th of June 2024, all containers from North America were added. In phase 3, which ran until the 1^st of October 2024, Africa, the Middle East, India and Pakistan followed. Since 3 February 2025, the new way of working has also been in force for cargo from the Far East and Oceania. With this, all intercontinental container cargo entering Rotterdam now falls under the Secure Chain.
For 2026, further expansion to other container cargo entering the port is planned, particularly in the shortsea sector.

As the neutral logistics platform for the Dutch ports, Portbase was asked by the port business community to lead the technical development of the Secure Chain. To facilitate this, an additional authorisation layer was added to the existing digital services within the Port Community System. This minimises the impact of the Secure Chain’s implementation. For new parties looking to connect to Portbase for the Secure Chain, a free basic service is available, as well as a highly comprehensive paid service. This makes it easy for all parties to securely transfer the right to collect a container from one link to another in a digital manner.

The Secure Chain is a broad partnership of businesses and government bodies to boost the resilience of port logistics processes. Portbase has been requested to realize a substantial part of the technical solution via the Port Community System of the Dutch ports, making use of the existing digital service provision for the core processes in the port. However, Portbase is not the only party that is making improvements to the port logistics process for the Secure Chain. Take the initiative of the container terminals to start verifying the operating carrier at the gate, for example. Secure Logistics plays a prominent role in this. Another example concerns measures and agreements between Customs, terminals and shipping lines/ship agents to improve the inspection process. This aspect is also related to the Secure Chain.

You will find the answers to your questions about the Portbase services for the Secure Chain on these support pages.

All attention is now fully geared to using the Secure Chain for the release of deepsea and shortsea containers at the terminals in the port of Rotterdam. In the long term, it is feasible that cargo flows via other terminals and/or ports will be handled through the Secure Chain as well.

It does not come as a surprise that criminals are constantly looking for new ways to carry out their activities. Every company and every link should be aware of this and take measures to protect themselves. For more information on how the different links approach this, please contact their respective sector organisations.

Only familiar and authorised parties can view information and perform actions in the Secure Chain. In this way, we make the logistics chain more secure and reliable. PIN codes, which are susceptible to fraud, are eliminated from the process. The possession of information (read the PIN code) is no longer the key to gaining access to terminals. In a ‘closed’ logistics chain, parties exchange ‘need-to-know’ information with each other in a secure manner. They digitally communicate the authorisation to collect a container to one another.

PIN code fraud is the misuse of the PIN codes that shipping lines/ship agents provide to their customers for collecting containers at the terminals. With the introduction of the Secure Chain, these PIN codes are eliminated from the release and collection process. Please contact the Seaport Police for more information about PIN code fraud.

The Secure Chain makes the release and collection process of deepsea and shortsea containers in the port of Rotterdam significantly more secure and reliable. As PIN codes are completely eliminated from the process, this form of fraud is no longer possible. Unfortunately, criminals are always looking for new avenues to commit fraud. Please contact the Seaport Police for more information about this.

This is certainly an important reason to make the release and collection process of import containers more secure and reliable by means of a new operational approach. This allows us to kill two birds with one stone. Participants in the Secure Chain also benefit from the enhanced protection of sensitive data (important from a compliance perspective). Furthermore, the smart reuse of data provides optimal insight into the status and planning of import containers.

In a ‘closed’ logistics chain, only authorised and familiar parties exchange ‘need-to-know’ data with each other in a secure manner. PIN codes, which are susceptible to fraud, are eliminated from the process. Parties digitally communicate the authorisation to collect a container to one another.

In the Secure Chain, the authorisation to collect a container is transferred digitally from one link to the next. Only known and authorised parties can view specific information and perform actions. PIN codes, which are susceptible to fraud, are eliminated from the logistics process. As a result, logistics chains become less susceptible to crime and theft.