APMT MVII connected to backup service for road hauliers

Portbase makes every effort to ensure a reliable exchange of data 24/7. For this reason, APM Terminals Maasvlakte ll (APMT MVll) has now also been connected to the backup service for road hauliers. This means you can continue pre-notifying and working as normal should the Portbase services HCN Road or Road Planning EDI experience an unexpected disruption. Use of the backup service was previously already available for Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG), Hutchison Ports ECT Delta and Hutchison Ports ECT Euromax.

Request your password straight away
Click here to go to the backup service for road hauliers. You can directly request a password for access here. We recommend that you do this straight away. If necessary, you will then be able to use the backup service immediately. Do you want to know how the backup service for road hauliers works? Click here.

We will inform you by email as soon as the backup service becomes available to you. Generally, this is one hour after the regular service provision of HCN Road or Road Planning EDI has become unavailable.

How it works
You only use the backup service for road hauliers to submit pre-notifications that cannot wait until later. Similar to HCN Road / Road Planning EDI, you submit all the information necessary for pre-notifying your visit and container(s) to the backup service. Next, you will receive the details for delivery and/or collection by e-mail. Pre-notifications that you submit via the backup service are not visible in the Port Community System.

Request your password for the backup service today! This way, you are optimally prepared.

More information
If you have any questions, our Service Desk will be pleased to help. You can reach them on 0031 88-625 25 25 or servicedesk@portbase.com.

Logging into the Port Community System is changing

Security and convenience go hand in hand with IAMconnected
Logging into the Port Community System (PCS) is changing. In the future, everyone will be logging in with IAMconnected, a new service from Portbase that combines greater convenience with increased security. Portbase is aware that everyone is facing additional challenges right now in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. That being said, switching to the new login is extremely easy, we offer comprehensive guidance throughout the process and doing so will offer you concrete advantages.

IAMconnected is the DigiD for port and logistics. In future, it will be possible to access multiple digital services with a single login. It will no longer be necessary to remember separate login details for each service. Logging in once with IAMconnected will be enough. The Port of Rotterdam (for My Port) and Customs are already working with IAMconnected. Portbase will shortly begin transitioning users of the PCS.

What is happening?
In the near future, Portbase will be asking all PCS users to create a personal account on IAMconnected. It will take only a few minutes of your time. The new login procedure for the PCS is both easier and more secure. All you need to do is enter a username and personal password which you have chosen yourself. And if an employee changes jobs, the personal IAMconnected account is simply taken to the new employer.

Step-by-step approach
An essential condition for the secure use of the PCS is that company and user data are up to date. As set out in the Portbase terms & conditions, customers themselves have an important responsibility in this regard. Portbase will support PCS users in:

  • carefully checking the company and user data in the PCS before the switch to IAMconnected;
  • making the switch to IAMconnected for the organisation and for the users.

This will take place in three steps:

  1. All primary contact persons at participating companies will receive a request to check the company data registered with Portbase and check them if necessary.
  2. Portbase will then ask the administrator of the PCS account (the so-called organisation administrator) within a company:
    • to check the registered users and update them if necessary;
    • to create an IAMconnected account for themselves first;
    • to submit their company as a participant in IAMconnected.
  3. Finally, Portbase will ask all users:
    • to create their own personal accounts in IAMconnected;
    • to link those accounts to the companies they work for.

The new secure and easy login procedure will then be complete. Portbase is offering a lengthy transition period. All participating companies and users will be given sufficient time to make the switch.

More information

For more information about IAMconnected, please visit our special support page. Do you have any further questions? Please contact our Customer Service, they will be pleased to help you.

Port Authority adds Boxinsider to Portbase

The Port of Rotterdam is adding the Track & Trace service Boxinsider, launched in October 2019, to Portbase. The transition will begin immediately. With this move, the Port of Rotterdam is taking the next step towards an integrated logistics network. At Portbase, the Track & Trace service will become part of the improved import services for cargo under the name Cargo Tracker. 

Complementary services

Portbase manages the digital infrastructure of the Dutch ports. It provides various types of services to all the parties involved in the port and the onward logistics chain. Track & Trace services are part of the total offer. The Port of Rotterdam and Portbase currently have separate data, knowledge and services that Track & Trace supports. Combining the Track & Trace activities of both organisations will create a more complete service and a clear proposition towards the market.

Pilot phase

Cargo Tracker will be available as a pilot in the spring of 2020. Apart from visual changes to the screen, customers who were already connected to Boxinsider brands will not notice any impact from the transition. Customers who register will be able to use the service free of charge in the pilot phase. The official launch will take place before the summer. The new service enables the parties involved to keep track of the cargo they handle or are the recipients of. Cargo Tracker is therefore particularly suitable for parties who outsource their logistics and reporting obligations but still want to keep an eye on the cargo flow in order to adjust their own processes and planning accordingly.

Close partnership

The Port of Rotterdam and Portbase will continue to work together to develop and market these and future services. Their common goal is for customers to experience the port as a seamless part of their logistics chain. With this partnership, the Port of Rotterdam is confirming its position as the digital leader in smart port logistics.

From cargo information to cargo control

Portbase is currently working on the further development of its existing service Cargo Information 2.0.  This upgraded service, now called Cargo Controller, allows users to easily view and keep track of cargo information, but also to intervene themselves by performing (follow-up) actions and efficiently assigning their own cargo to partners while also monitoring the process. Cargo Tracker is a logical part of this service and will be the first functionality of Cargo Controller to become available.

Announcement regarding migration of electronic message exchange with the government

Dear customer,

You are currently using one or more Portbase service(s) to exchange messages with government agencies in the Netherlands. In order to receive these messages, the Dutch government makes use of a digital mailbox known as ‘Digipoort Trade & Transport (DTT)’. This is the official mailbox for exchanging information with Customs, The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, the Seaport Police and the Port Authorities.

Dutch Customs intends to end its contract with current provider Logius and assume in-house management of the Digipoort Trade & Transport and Single Window itself. To that end, Customs is working to develop a new digital mailbox facility called the ‘Trade & Transport Gateway’ (TTG). Companies may therefore encounter changes in the digital mailing addresses. The actual flow of messages, however, will remain unchanged.
Customs has sent a number of newsletters to inform you of the planned migration to HTG and has asked you to prepare for this step (together with your software supplier).

Good news: Portbase will ensure that all services you use to communicate with the Dutch government (via the Port Community System) are migrated to the TTG. This will require no action on your part. The migration of the Portbase services to the new TTG will be carried out in three phases, scheduled to last from February until June 2020. From July, all Portbase customers will be connected to the TTG. You will not notice when this migration takes place.

Please note: Besides the Portbase services, do you use other additional software to submit messages to the Dutch government? In that case, you will need to make arrangements with those software suppliers regarding the migration of your account.

More information
If you have questions in connection with this announcement, please contact our Service Desk via 088 625 2525 or servicedesk@portbase.com.

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All of Portbase’s EDI and API specifications in a single location

Looking for the EDI and API specifications for our Portbase services?
Soon, they will all be available in a single developer portal. From 2 March 2020, developer.portbase.com will be your central gateway to this information. This will make it easier for you to find the specifications you need. In addition, you will no longer need to log in to access this portal and download specifications.

The current page, portbase.com/interfaces/message-specifications, will be deactivated on the aforementioned date as well. All EDI specifications found there will be migrated to developer.portbase.com, where the API specifications are already available. Starting 2 March, in other words, you will be able to view specifications for the entire range of Portbase services in the updated developer portal.

Important! Do you have API keys and secrets saved in the ‘App Keys’ section of developer.portbase.com? Be sure to save these in another secure location before it’s too late. Any API keys & secrets remaining in the developer portal on 2 March will be deleted at that time.

Further information
If you have questions about our developer portal, please email them to integration@portbase.com. We will respond to your inquiry as quickly as possible.

Brexit is a done deal, but with Portbase you’re well-prepared

Now that the Brexit has taken place, the European Union and the United Kingdom are negotiating the terms of their new trade relations. No matter the outcome of these talks, however, it is certain that you will encounter Customs obligations. Once the current transition period ends – i.e. from 1 January 2021 – it will no longer be possible to freely exchange goods with parties in the UK. This applies to both shortsea and ferry transport.

You have already subscribed to one or more Portbase services belonging to the chain-wide ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ solution: Notification Import Documentation, Notification Export Documentation (including Track & Trace Export) and/or Import Status. The use of these services will enable you to continue quickly transporting goods via the Dutch ports after 1 January 2021. A number of shortsea terminals are already using the services for transport to and from other countries outside the EU.

Portbase Support
We naturally provide assistance to help you make a quick, easy start with our Get Ready for Brexit services. For useful instructional videos, manuals, the answers to frequently asked questions and more, please refer to our Portbase Support pages.

More Portbase services post-Brexit
Portbase offers even more services that can considerably streamline your Customs formalities following the Brexit. For instance: the service Declaration Food and Consumer Products for declaring veterinary cargoes. Following the Brexit, it will be possible to use this service for cargoes transported both by container and trailer. Other options specifically for container transport are: the service Transit Declaration for follow-up declarations, Inspections Portal for comprehensive oversight of potential Customs inspections, Notification Local Clearance for making use of streamlined Customs procedures and Cargo information for direct access to your own Bills of Lading (B/L’s) on board the ships.

Further details on each service can be found on the service pages of our website.
You can sign up to participate straight away via the website as well.

Further information
Additional details on the current period of transition within the Brexit and what happens next are available on our website. For the most up-to-date information on the Dutch chain-wide solution, please visit the joint Get Ready for Brexit website or consult the Get Ready for Brexit handbook.

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The solution for Brexit in Dutch ports

Pursuant to the decision by the British Parliament, the European Parliament has adopted the Brexit agreement and on 31 January 2020 (at midnight Central European Time), the United Kingdom officially left the European Union. The Brexit is now a reality. A transitional phase is now in effect and will continue through 31 December 2020. The UK will continue to be subject to all EU laws and regulations during this period. So far, nothing has changed for the Dutch ports and businesses in the logistical chains. They can continue to transport their goods just as they have done in past years. Please note that customs obligations will go into effect after the transitional period.

During the transitional period, the EU and UK will make agreements regarding how their relationship will proceed after 31 December 2020. Yet no matter the substance of these agreements, it is inevitable that customs formalities will be introduced for goods moving from the EU to the UK or vice versa. Businesses can use the period through 31 December to prepare themselves for this new reality. Please make sure you are ready in time. Only by working together can we avoid unnecessary delays.

July 1: possible extension of the transition phase
July 1 is an important date in the transition phase. If both the UK and the EU agree, the transition phase can be extended once for two years until December 31, 2022. This must then be agreed before July 1, 2020. However, British Prime Minister Johnson has said that he does not want an extension.

New relationship
The EU and the UK are therefore negotiating the details of their future relationship in the coming year. In those negotiations, the EU and the UK agree on the conditions under which entrepreneurs can do business in and with the UK after the transition period. They will also negotiate rights for citizens and cooperation in the field of security.
More clarity about the new relationship between the EU and the UK will only come after this phase of the negotiations has been completed. The new agreements must take effect after the transition phase, which ends on 31 December 2020. These new agreements must also be approved by the EU countries, the British parliament and the European parliament. If it is not possible to make agreements about the new relationship, a so-called no-deal Brexit will still take place at the end of the transition period. However, this does not affect the working methods in the ports, as there will be customs formalities anyway. Preparation for the correct handling of these formalities is of great importance for everyone.

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All barge operators successfully migrated to HCN Barge

Along with all inland navigation container barge operators, your organisation was successfully migrated to Hinterland Container Notification (HCN) Barge. From now on, your planners will use this new Portbase service to prenotify the inland navigation vessels and containers to the terminals in the port of Rotterdam. This applies to rotation, visit and loading details.

HCN Barge has been developed in partnership with barge operators. As a result, its operation is aligned with your planners’ daily working process.

Pilot participant Riny Boekelman of DPWorld Germersheim:
“Portbase involved barge operators in the development of HCN Barge at an early stage. Partly as a result, the service is well configured. It may take a little getting used to for planners, but the operation is largely self-explanatory.”

Rutger Bol of Barge Line Today:
“Our experiences with HCN Barge to date have been good. The service is very user-friendly. Compared to Barge Planning, you have a better overview and it is easy to edit details. We are definitely enthusiastic about it.”

System link with Portbase
HCN Barge utilises API links, the new IT standard for exchanging data. Portbase is temporarily offering an EDI converter (for 1 year). This converter automatically converts the loading information supplied in EDI to the new HCN format without you having to do anything. As long as no API link has been created, prenotification of visit and rotation information needs to take place via the HCN Barge web screens. Contact your software supplier in order to switch to an API system link as quickly as possible.

Input for Nextlogic too
HCN Barge will also supply the input for the future integrated planning of all container barge visits by Nextlogic. Nextlogic will be starting field trials shortly. This will take place in the background. During this pilot period, barge operators and terminals will continue working in the existing manner via HCN Barge. In order to stay up to date on the partnership between Portbase and Nextlogic, check our joint website regularly.

More information
On the Portbase support page, your planners will find a quick start guide, instruction videos, FAQs and more to ensure a smooth start with MCA Barge. Our Service Desk will also be pleased to answer any questions. You can reach them on 088 625 2525 and servicedesk@portbase.com.

What makes a good PCS?

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The British people have spoken: Brexit on course

In yesterday’s elections in the United Kingdom, the Conservative Party of Boris Johnson won a landslide majority in parliament. The British Prime Minister is now expected to press ahead his Brexit deal and try to gain approval from the House of Commons as quickly as possible. The United Kingdom will then exit the European Union in an orderly manner by the 31st of January 2020 at the latest.

What does this mean for you?
If Brexit does indeed proceed as per the agreed deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union, nothing will change in terms of trade for the time being. A transition period will apply until the 31st of December 2020. After that, customs formalities for which you will still require the Portbase services will come into effect in the Dutch ports.

Crucial date: 1st of July
The 1st of July constitutes an important date in the transition period. Before this date, the British must state whether they think that they will be able to finalise the new trade relationship by the 31st of December 2020. The United Kingdom must then decide whether they want to extend the transition period by two years.

Please note! No-deal Brexit not ruled out
Recent history has shown that nothing is certain when it comes to Brexit. A no-deal Brexit remains possible, although the likelihood of this is diminished by the election results. Only after ratification by both parties can a no-deal Brexit be ruled out. By preparing now, you prevent the risk of coming to a standstill in the port after the 31st of January 2020. Your effort is never wasted. If a deal is reached, customs formalities will also be in effect in the ports after a transitional period.