Today the Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) announced it has conducted a proof of concept using blockchain to help verify special cargo such as chemicals and lithium batteries. The trial involved shipping lines COSCO Shipping and OOCL, Shanghai Research Institute of Chemical Industry Testing (SICIT), and appliance manufacturer Midea. COSCO and OOCL are shareholders in the non-profit GSBN.
Last year a ship carrying 4,000 Porsches and Volkswagens from Germany to the United States caught fire and eventually sank. It’s suspected the cause was lithium batteries in electric vehicles, but it hasn’t been confirmed.
Typically cargo receives a safety certification from an organization such as SICIT so that the goods can be handled safely to avoid accidents and protect the crew. However, the paper certificate is typically provided to the sender of the goods. Hence there’s a risk that paperwork could be altered as it passes through logistics companies to cargo shipping companies and onwards, resulting in unknown safety issues.
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