A key milestone following the continued expansion of the consortium, including the recent addition of CEI CVC Lab as the 5th laboratory in the program.
Hong Kong, 20th January 2025 – Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN), a neutral, not-for-profit consortium enabling paperless, accessible and sustainable global trade with its data infrastructure and ecosystem of partners, announced a significant milestone in the digitalisation of critical cargo booking processes.
After successfully implementing the digitalisation of safe transportation certificates for over a year, COSCO SHIPPING Lines (COSCO) and GSBN have launched a new pilot to enhance the digital sharing of documents and certificates for dangerous and critical cargo transportation. This pilot was carried out in December 2024 in partnership with Longxing Chemical Stock Co., Ltd. (Longxing Chemical).
As industry best practice, cargo such as carbon black should be certified as safe to transport before they are accepted by shipping companies for maritime transportation, yet the current process burdens customers with complex document submissions during the booking process. Carriers are inundated with documents and certificates without a secure and efficient processing method. In response to the rising demand for a more efficient and sustainable supply chain, COSCO is piloting a new process with industry leader Longxing Chemical, to further enhance innovation and safety.
Collaborative Security Measures for Carbon Black Transportation
Longxing Chemical is a key player in the production of high-grade carbon black for rubber products, a flammable material used extensively in the manufacturing of tyres. Due to its importance in many industries, safely transporting carbon black is essential. Longxing partnered with COSCO to streamline the booking and acceptance processes of this essential product by harnessing GSBN’s blockchain-enabled infrastructure. Longxing provides COSCO with safety certifications, which are promptly verified through the growing network of China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment (CNAS) accredited testing laboratories on GSBN. This new process allows COSCO to handle hazardous material shipments efficiently, highlighting their commitment to safe and reliable transport.
Capt. Wuzhen, Executive Deputy General Manager of Safety & Technology Management Division of COSCO, said: “COSCO always adheres to the principle of “safety first, with a focus on prevention,” implements safety responsibilities, fulfils its duty of transporting customers’ entrusted goods, and ensures the safety of personnel, the environment, vessels, and cargo. By accelerating digitalization and intelligent transformation, and focusing on the everlasting theme of “safety” to drive innovative development. The company is committed to working hand in hand with industry partners to explore the optimal path for shipping safety and development.”
Liu Sha, Marketing Director of Longxing Chemical, said: "The verification of the safe transportation of carbon black goods through blockchain technology not only ensures proper safety certification, but also enhances audit efficiency, making transportation cooperation with COSCO safer and more efficient. Longxing Chemical is committed to continuing our collaboration with COSCO in advancing digitalisation, intelligence, and globalisation, strengthening a secure and efficient supply chain transportation.”
Bertrand Chen, CEO of GSBN, said, “We’re seeing pioneering carriers and customers increasingly harness technology to take proactive action to further enhance the booking processes for dangerous and critical cargo. This is important given the rising demand of the global trade of chemicals and the associated increases in fire incidents on vessels and at ports. GSBN is ready to partner with carriers and customers to respond with a framework and the infrastructure necessary to help enhance safe transportation by facilitating trusted information exchange. At stake, it is the need to balance the increasing demands of global trade with the safety of crew and the impacts on the environment.”
Continued Expansion of the GSBN Ecosystem for Safe Transportation
Over the past year, GSBN has established connections with major CNAS-accredited laboratories in key locations across China, forming a robust foundation for an ecosystem supporting the testing requirements of carriers and customers. In early December 2024, CVC Testing Technology Co. Ltd. (CVC), a leading laboratory in lithium battery testing, joined the GSBN ecosystem as the consortium’s fifth laboratory member, further expanding carriers’ access to primary test reports.
This further solidifies GSBN’s commitment to enhancing safety and efficiency in transportation. The aim is to develop a new framework harnessing GSBN’s infrastructure to enhance the booking processes for dangerous and critical cargo, as well as set new standards across the industry to prevent fires and explosions on vessels and terminals across the world.
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About GSBN
The Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) is a neutral, not-for-profit consortium whose mission is to enable paperless, accessible and sustainable growth in global trade with its data infrastructure and ecosystem of partners. GSBN facilitates trusted collaboration between participants across the shipping industry to enable greater efficiencies, and paperless trade as well as supporting the shipping industry’s decarbonisation transition.
GSBN’s ecosystem includes shipping lines, terminals, banks, application developers and other consortia. The entire network accounts for more than half of the containers handled in the world.
About COSCO SHIPPING Lines
COSCO SHIPPING Lines is engaged in domestic and international maritime container transport services. With 503 container vessels with a total capacity of 3.08 million TEUs, COSCO SHIPPING Lines has the fourth-largest fleet in the world. Operating 403 international and domestic shipping routes covering 602 ports in 144 countries, COSCO SHIPPING Lines is committed to building a globalised and digitalised container supply chain service system, providing high-quality “End-to-End” transportation solutions for customers.
About Longxing Chemical
For 30 years, Longxing Chemical Co., Ltd. has adhered to the corporate spirit of "credibility first, management foremost, relentless pursuit, and excellent development." The company is committed to scientific development, actively promoting technological progress and innovation. Focusing on the production, R&D, and sales of rubber carbon black, Longxing is a top-tier enterprise in China's carbon black industry (Top 3) and among the global leaders in carbon black production capacity (Top 10). Its products are distributed across Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, and other regions, earning trust and collaboration from international tire giants such as Michelin, Bridgestone, Continental, Pirelli, Hankook, and Yokohama, as well as renowned domestic tire companies like Aeolus, Zhongce, Sailun, Linglong, and Sentury. For more information about Longxing, please visit www.hb-lx.com.cn.
About CVC
CVC Testing Technology Co. Ltd. is an authoritative third-party quality and technical service provider under CEI (stock code: 688128). It integrates fundamental research, standardization, testing, certification, inspection, measurement, proficiency testing, and quality improvement extension services (such as laboratory technical services and training).
Press Contacts
Edelman for GSBN
Winnie Li
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