Royal visit highlights efforts to prevent misuse of global supply chains

APM Terminals welcomed His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and the Dutch Minister of Justice, David van Weel, to its terminal at Maasvlakte II today. The visit formed part of the newly formed Dutch government’s focus on critical societal sectors and highlighted the importance of cooperation between public authorities and private companies in addressing vulnerabilities in global supply chains. Representatives from the Dutch Customs Service and the Seaport Police also took part.

“The misuse of global supply chains is a serious challenge for the entire logistics sector and for society as a whole,” says Van Weel. “This is why I wanted to visit APM Terminals at Maasvlakte II: to gain insight into how public authorities and private companies work together in practice, the progress being made, and to underline the importance of strong, long-term public-private partnerships in protecting employees, securing supply chains and maintaining trust in global trade.”

During the visit, the delegation gained insight into how APM Terminals and Maersk work closely with local and international authorities, and how these partnerships contribute to safer working environments and more resilient supply chains.

“Criminal organisations that exploit global supply chains are ruthless, highly organised and pose a risk to the hundreds of thousands of employees who work every day to keep global trade moving,” says Niels Bruus, Head of Security and Resilience at Maersk, of which APM Terminals is part. “That is why our focus is on removing our people from the most vulnerable parts of the supply chain and ensuring they are trained to respond appropriately if they observe suspicious situations.”

APM Terminals has implemented a range of initiatives focused on employee safety. These include targeted training and increased automation in critical parts of the supply chain. In the Port of Rotterdam, the deep-sea terminals, in cooperation with authorities, have removed access via PIN codes through initiatives such as Secure Chain. The company also supports background screening, as well as the standardisation of processes and handling, as part of wider sector efforts.

The enhanced cooperation is already delivering tangible results in Rotterdam, explains Peter van Buijtenen, Directeur Douane Rotterdam Haven. “Since the rollout of Secure Chain, we have not seen attempts involving PIN code fraud. We also welcome the constructive role APM Terminals plays as a partner in collective efforts to protect supply chains. Ongoing dialogue and cooperation between the private sector and authorities are crucial to close vulnerabilities and strengthen the ability to investigate and intervene against attempts at misuse. APM Terminals’ approach demonstrates how responsibility and partnership can translate into real impact.”