Hapag-Lloyd, ONE to Join TradeLens

German container shipping major Hapag-Lloyd and Singapore-based Ocean Network Express (ONE) will join the blockchain-enabled digital shipping platform TradeLens, jointly developed by Maersk and IBM.

The world’s fifth and sixth largest carriers, respectively, join CMA CGM and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, both of which recently revealed that they are becoming part of TradeLens. With these additions, the scope of the platform now extends to more than half of the world’s ocean container cargo.

“Expanding digital collaboration is critical to the evolution of the container shipping industry,” said Martin Gnass, Managing Director Information Technology at Hapag-Lloyd.

“TradeLens has made significant progress in launching a much-needed transformation in the industry, including its partnership model. Now, with five of the world’s six largest carriers committed to the platform, not to mention many other ecosystem participants, we can collectively accelerate that transformation to provide greater trust, transparency and collaboration across supply chains and help promote global trade.”

The addition of these two global carriers will help drive further adoption of TradeLens around the world now that TradeLens customers have access to major carriers in all three leading global vessel sharing alliances on the platform, Maersk explained.

Hapag-Lloyd and ONE will each operate a blockchain node, participate in consensus to validate transactions, host data, and assume a critical role of acting as Trust Anchors, or validators, for the network. Both companies will be represented on the TradeLens Advisory Board, which will include members across the supply chain to advise on standards for neutrality and openness.