Maersk launches digital customs clearance

   Maersk said it has become the first container shipping company to offer digital ocean customs clearance.
   The Danish shipping company has launched its customs clearance online shipping management platform in seven European countries — Germany, France, Denmark, The Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom and Spain — with the goal of expanding the offering across the world by the end of the year.
   “This new one-stop shop allows us to timely and efficiently handle export and import declarations for our customers,” said A.P. Møller – Maersk Chief Commercial Officer Vincent Clerc. “The solution provides downstream benefits of full governance and compliance, eliminates the need to provide a quote as pricing is displayed online, saving three to five minutes per quote.
   “In other words, it saves our customers time, money and headaches, reducing the number of intermediaries they deal with from three or four to just one, as well as paperwork, which subsequently reduce the time spent on transactional procedures — time saved they can then devote to grow their businesses,” Clerc said.
   Maersk piloted the ocean and customs clearance shipping management platform in Germany for almost two years.