Al-Hamd International Container Terminal (AICT) has been the first inland depot operator in Pakistan to join TradeLens, a blockchain-powered digital container logistics.
TradeLens is an open and neutral industry platform developed by Maersk and IBM that brings together data from the entire global supply chain ecosystem. This data allows TradeLens and its network partners to modernise manual and paper-based documents by replacing them with blockchain-enabled digital solutions.
The products of the TradeLens platform, such as digital documentation, end-to-end visibility and Electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) will facilitate customers' moving operations at the AITC, according to a statement.
AITC is located in Pakistan’s biggest industrial zone (SITE) responsible for 70% of off-dock trade taking place through the port of Karachi.
"Joining TradeLens is a step in the right direction for us in moving closer to our vision of leading the digital change in Pakistan’s logistics ecosystem," said Executive Director of AICT, Ahsan Sarwar.
Furthermore, the Head of Network Development, GTD Solution Inc., and the TradeLens Platform, Thomas Sproat pointed out the benefits of this collaboration, commenting that "With the TradeLens platform, we are providing transit visibility across permissioned stakeholders through the journey of the cargo from origin to destination as well as safe and secure digital documentation."
"AICT has taken the first step and as more carriers, ports, customs authorities, shippers, and other logistics partners join this journey, we will be able to strengthen digitisation and transform the way we do logistics globally," Sproat added.
The TradeLens ecosystem now includes more than 300 organizations, encompassing ten ocean carriers, and data from more than 600 ports and terminals. The digital platform has already processed 42 million container shipments, nearly 2.2 billion events and some 20 million documents.
"TradeLens can play a game-changing role for the country and has the potential to be an integral part of the Pakistan Single Window project," said the Managing Director of Maersk Pakistan, Aruna Hussain.
