Maasvlakte terminals to institute paperless transfer system

The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration and participating terminal operators will no longer require a physical customs document to be submitted when transferring containers from one terminal to another at the Maasvlakte facility in the Port of Rotterdam.    The Dutch Tax and Customs Administration and participating terminal operators at the Maasvlakte facility in the Port of Rotterdam – APMT, ECT and RWG – will no longer require a physical customs document to be submitted when transferring containers from one terminal to another, according to a statement from the port authority.
   The so-called “paperless transfer” system considerably reduces the administrative workload particularly for shipping lines and simplifies the exchange of containers between terminals, the authority said.
   “The paperless transfer of containers between the different Maasvlakte terminals is important for Rotterdam’s position as a port,” Rob Bagchus, Chairman of the Rotterdam Terminal Operators’ Association (VRTO), said of the program. “That is why the terminals have worked to realize this system as quickly as possible.”
   Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte has five deepwater container terminals, and boxes often arrive at one and depart from another – tens of thousands every year. The port expects this trend to accelerate in the coming years thanks to shifting carrier alliances, as well as more organic means of cargo growth.
   Recent changes in European customs legislation give carriers the option of transferring containers between terminals at the same port without additional paperwork. The Association of Rotterdam Shipbrokers and Agents (VRC), the terminal operators, Dutch Tax and Customs Administration and the Port of Rotterdam Authority have agreed to implement the system at all five deepwater container terminals effective July 1, 2016.
   The authority said it was also considering rolling out the program to other container terminals at the Port of Rotterdam in the future.
   “These agreements allow the shipping companies to exchange containers between the different container terminals at Maasvlakte without a mass of paperwork,” said VRC Chairman Kees Groeneveld. “It’s an important step that allows us to keep costs low for companies active in Rotterdam – particularly in light of the strong competition faced in the Hamburg-Le Havre range.”
   “Wherever possible, we are happy to minimise the administrative burden on the private sector,” added Anneke van den Breemer, regional customs director for the Port of Rotterdam. “The current agreements offer adequate safeguards for preventing irregularities.”
   Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, said the paperless transfer system would simplify cross-terminal operations and improve the port’s competitive position.
   “The next step will be the construction of the Container Exchange Route, which allows for the transport of containers between terminals via a closed system,” added Castelein. “According to our planning, this project will be rounded off within two years. The agreements presently entered into regarding paperless transfers will also apply to the Container Exchange Route.”