PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Paris, 27^th October 2021

The BIC is pleased to announce the reelection of Mr. Giordano Bruno Guerrini as Chairman of the Board of Directors, for a period of three years.

Mr. Guerrini has generously volunteered his time to the BIC for over 2 decades and brings over 45 years’ experience in the container transportation field.  He began his career with several forwarding, leasing and agency operations roles both in Italy and abroad. In 1980 he was instrumental in forming Hapag Lloyd (Italy) in Genoa, ultimately becoming President and Managing Director of the new subsidiary. In this role, Mr. Guerrini set-up the first intermodal rail links to the North Continent and participated in the merger of CP Ships into Hapag Lloyd Group in 2006.

He later served Hapag Lloyd AG as Senior Vice President and Director Operations for Region South, one of the company’s four global divisions, with full responsibility for operations in the Med, Middle East and Africa.  A licensed ship’s agent, Mr. Guerrini has also run a family-owned agency business and participated in various terminal and logistics companies as shareholder and director. He has served as Secretary General of the Council of Intermodal Shipping Consultants (C.I.S.Co) since 2004 and has been on the Board of Assiterminal since 2010.

Mr. Guerrini stated, “I wish to thank my fellow board members for their support and vote of confidence. It is my pleasure to continue working with the BIC during such an interesting period in our industry, with BIC-supported standards and data services playing an important role in the drive towards digitalization.”

About the BIC

Founded under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce in 1933 as a neutral, non-profit, international organisation, the BIC today has over 2500 members in 130 countries.. Publisher of the BIC Code Register since 1970, the BIC has been the industry’s global container prefix registry for over 50 years.  The BIC also manages the BIC Facility Code database, which includes a unique code for over 17,000 container facilities in 192 countries.  Since 2013 the BIC has also operated the Global ACEP Database under the guidance of the IMO. In 2016, the BIC launched the BoxTech Global Container Database (bic-boxtech.org) to help improve efficiency and safety in the supply chain, and to help simplify compliance with SOLAS container weight reporting requirements. The BIC holds official observer status as an NGO at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the World Customs Organisation (WCO), and the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) and works closely with the ISO and other standards organisations.

For more information visit bic-code.org or follow us on Linked-in

Media inquiries: [email protected]

• • All MSC depots globally can now be easily referenced with a standardised 9-character code;
  • The codes are the BIC Facility Codes (BFC), which were recently harmonised in a major joint project between BIC and DCSA;
  • This is a vital step towards harmonising industry communications for multimodal or multi-carrier transportation;
  • The standardised language improves efficiency, reduces confusion, and eliminates unnecessary work;
  • MSC hopes its efforts will quicken adoption by vendors, other trading partners, and other major carriers.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), a global leader in container shipping and logistics, has fully adopted BIC Facility Codes (BFC) for all depots globally. Just like airports worldwide have the three letter IATA codes, all MSC’s depots are now identifiable with a 9-character BFC, moving one step further on the digitalisation journey. The transition process was completed across 2021, in order to ensure that every MSC depot globally was included.

MSC sees this as a vital step forward. Today, there is a lack of a common language throughout the industry, adding extra steps to the already complex and fragmented shipment journeys from end to end. This leads to inefficiencies and time-wasting procedures, causing uncertainty or delays. A standardised language brings simplicity, improves efficiency, and provides certainty for multimodal or multi-carrier transportation that allows for future growth opportunities. In day-to-day interactions, this will lead to smoother communication, increased data clarity and accuracy, and a simpler and more efficient process throughout.

Andre Simha, Global Chief Digital and Information Officer for MSC, states that “MSC has been a vocal proponent of harmonising facility codes since the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) was founded and has provided significant support to this project. Adopting the BIC Facility Codes is a great example of a variety of digital workstreams at MSC coming together to make strides for the digital future of shipping.”

The BIC Facility Codes were created through a major harmonisation project conducted in November 2020 by the Bureau International des Containers (BIC) with the assistance of the DCSA. Active collaboration from DCSA member ocean carriers and several of the largest leasing companies means that more than 17,000 container facilities in 192 countries can now be easily identified for supply chain events without ambiguity, with enhanced addressing and latitude/longitude coordinates. The BIC manages the database and offers an open API to allow trading partners to ensure their IT systems are kept up to date.

BIC Secretary General Douglas Owen stated “We congratulate the MSC team, which has been laser-focused on ensuring 100% of its facilities worldwide have a BIC Facility Code assigned and that all MSC systems globally were updated to include the harmonised codes. The end result, for all the carriers now adopting the standard, will be improved efficiency with trading partners and more seamless flow of information between systems.”

“The digital transformation of the container shipping industry is underway,” said DCSA CEO Thomas Bagge. “DCSA and its members are creating the framework for it, and we invite all stakeholders to become part of this transformation. Adopting baseline standards such as location code standards is a mandatory step in establishing an interoperable digital foundation which will simplify current complexities. Ultimately, customers, stakeholders and the entire industry will benefit.”

While all the participating carriers are in the process of adopting the codes, MSC is the first to achieve full implementation throughout all company systems globally. The move is expected to quicken adoption by vendors and other trading partners, all of whom are set to benefit from streamlined communication using the harmonised codes.

For further information, accredited journalists may contact: [email protected]

About MSC: MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is a global leader in transportation and logistics, privately owned and founded in 1970 by Gianluigi Aponte. As one of the world’s leading container shipping lines, MSC has 524 offices across 155 countries worldwide with over 100,000 employees. With access to an integrated network of road, rail and sea transport resources which stretches across the globe, the company prides itself on delivering global service with local knowledge. MSC’s shipping line sails on more than 300 trade routes, calling at over 500 ports.

For more information visit www.msc.com

About the BIC: Founded under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce in 1933 as a neutral, non-profit, international organisation, the BIC today has over 2500 members in 130 countries..  Publisher of the BIC Code Register since 1970, the BIC has been the industry’s global container prefix registry for over 50 years.  Since 2013 the BIC has also operated the Global ACEP Database under the guidance of the IMO.  In 2016, the BIC launched the BoxTech Global Container Database (bic-boxtech.org) to help improve efficiency and safety in the supply chain, and to help simplify compliance with SOLAS container weight reporting requirements. The BIC holds official observer status as an NGO at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the World Customs Organisation (WCO), and the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) and works closely with the ISO and other standards organisations.

For more information visit www.bic-code.org

About the DCSA: DCSA is a nonprofit, independent organisation established in 2019 by several of the largest container shipping companies. DCSA’s mission is to be the de facto standards body for the industry, setting the technological foundation for interoperable IT solutions. Together with its member carriers, DCSA creates vendor-neutral, technology-agnostic, standards for IT and non-competitive business practices. By working towards the widespread adoption of these standards, its aim is to move the industry forward in terms of customer experience, efficiency, collaboration, innovation and respect for the environment.

For more information visit www.dcsa.org

You will find hereafter the most recent BIC magazine : Containers Issue 3,2021

You will find hereafter the most recent BIC magazine : Containers Issue 2,2021

The BIC’s NRO for Latin America, Mr. Arturo Serratos will be making a presentation at a forum organized by the Gendarmeria Nacional Argentina, taking place 7-11 June. The virtual course “The use of containers in organized crime: drug trafficking, smuggling and money laundering – technical and legal aspects” will be conducted by Comandante Principale Marcelo Pablo Iglesias – Lawyer and Customs Transport Agent. Countries from across the Americas and Europe will participate. The event will be conducted in Spanish via Zoom. Contact us for more information.

You will find hereafter the most recent BIC magazine : Containers Issue 1, 2021 

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

Milos® Federative Service to utilize Bureau International des Containers BIC databases for a European initiative benefiting stakeholders throughout the Supply Chain.

The initiative will be a focus of one of the Pilot projects coordinated by Circle within the European project FENIX – A European Federated Network of Information eXchange in LogistiXStudy.

Genoa, 2021, February 25th

CIRCLE Group specialists in the analysis and development of innovation and digitalization solutions for port and intermodal logistics and headed by Circle S.p.A will utilize the BIC databases in its Milos® offering providing efficient data delivery to participants in the supply chain.

The initiative is part of a Pilot project within’ European project FENIX – A European Federated Network of Information eXchange in LogistiXStudy (coordinated by ERTICO at the European level and by the Ministry of infrastructure and transport as recipient through TTS Italia at a national level), which concerns data exchange among all players involved in the Trade Lane.

BIC, a non profit organization providing registration services and databases for the container industry has joined FENIX as a member of the Stakeholder Group with the aim of facilitating the development of federated platforms through use of its longstanding core databases. These include the BIC Code Register published since 1970 and listing all owners and operators of containers in international trade the BoxTech Global Container Database which provides the technical details of containers (including container tare weights for SOLAS VGM declarations) and the recently re-launched API accessible BIC Facility Code Database which provides a harmonized identification code for over 15,000 container facilities worldwide. Also key to the project is the C.I.S.Co. Italian Depots Database which will be transformed into a dynamic directory that can be updated directly by the Italian depots.

As explained by Luca Abatello, President CEO at Circle: “Circle’s role is to coordinate with our experience the interfacing of databases of Italian service providers and global container players through Milos® solution, which represents the contact point among all players of the Supply Chain: MTOs, freight forwarders, inland and maritime terminal and the shipping company.”

“The BIC is pleased to be working with Circle on the project, and we look forward to discovering how the BIC operated databases and APIs will assist the Circle platform in streamlining the flow of data between stakeholders as well as speeding the flow of containers through the corridor” noted Giordano Bruno Guerrini, Chairman of the Board of BIC.

Previous pilot projects concerned data exchange among all players involved in the Trade Lane and the interoperability of information systems of ports of La Spezia and Casablanca with the involvement of Tarros; and of terminals in Genoa (IMT) and Alexandria with the involvement of Ignazio Messina C.

***

About CIRCLE Group
CIRCLE Group is specialized in the analysis and development of innovation and digitalization solutions for the port and intermodal logistics sectors headed by Circle S.p.A. Innovative SME listed on the AIM Italia market of Borsa Italiana since 2018, October 26th (alphanumeric code: CIRC; ISIN code for cordinary shares: IT.0005344996).

Besides Circle, belong to the Group software houses Info.era and Progetto Adele, purchased respectively at the end of 2017 and in July 2019.

Synergies between Circle, Info.era and Progetto Adele allowed the Group to expand the portfolio of solutions offered in the fields of IoT, Optimisation, Digital Twin, Big Data and Process Automation, and to strengthen its software products: Milos® – the suite for all players of intermodal logistics such as inland terminals, port terminals, ports, MTOs and shipping agencies -, Port Community System Sinfomar, Master SPED® and Master TRADE® solutions – respectively dedicated to shipping and logistics, and to commerce and industry. Lastly, with Circle Connecting EU Circle supports Public Entities and Companies by identifying their positioning at European level (EU Branding) and funding opportunities (Project Anticipation). The joint venture agreement, announced on November 30th, 2020 with Magellan Portuguese entity delivering advocacy services towards the European Institutions, will enable Circle to expand its international geography in the Iberian Peninsula, strengthen its presence in Brussels and take maximum advantages from opportunities relate d to Next Generation EU Recovery Fund.

About the BIC
Founded under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce in 1933 as a neutral, non profit, international organization, the BIC today has over 2500 members in 130 countries. The BIC has played an important role in the growth of containerization, with its long established and active role in the development and maintenance of industry standards. Publisher of the BIC Code Register since 1970, the BIC has been the industry’s global container prefix registry for over 50 years. Since 2013, the BIC has also operated the Global ACEP Database under the guidance of the IMO. In 2016, the BIC launched the BoxTech Global Container Database (bic boxtech.org) to help improve efficiency and safety in the supply chain, and to help simplify compliance with SOLAS container weight reporting requirements.

The BIC also operates the BIC Facility Code database and in 2020 launched a joint BIC SMDG API, providing both BIC Facility Codes and SMDG terminal codes, uniquely identifying over 15,000 container facilities and ocean terminals in the world. The BIC holds official observer status as an NGO at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) and works closely with the ISO and other standards organizations.

For further information:

Circle S.p.A.
Registered office Via Gustavo Fara 28, 20124 Milano
Operational headquarters Via Bombrini 13/3, 16149 Genova
Nicoletta Garzoni, Media Investor Relations Manager
Mail: [email protected]
Mobile: +39 339 2367218

Bureau International des Containers (BIC)
bic-code.org
[email protected] or connect on LinkedIn

Paris and Amsterdam, November 17, 2020  –  BIC (Bureau International des Containers) and DCSA (Digital Container Shipping Association) today announced completion of their collaboration to standardize the codes used to identify facilities such as depots, container yards, M&R vendors and other supply chain container facilities. Thanks to the active participation by DCSA member ocean carriers as well as several of the largest leasing companies, the organizations have achieved a clean, machine-readable database of over 11,000 facilities in 160 countries. Each facility in the database now has a structured address, GPS coordinates and a 9-character BIC Facility Code assigned to it that can be easily consumed by existing IT systems to facilitate adoption.

Machine learning techniques were used to sanitize and align nearly 30,000 facility codes from 10 major carriers and lessors, resulting in high-quality, harmonized facility names, addresses, GPS coordinates, and the standardized code the industry was looking for. DCSA Track & Trace standards, for example, now refer to the BIC Facility Code to identify places for supply chain events without ambiguity.

The API, currently available on SwaggerHub, will enable supply chain participants to ensure their systems are utilizing a unique, standardized code for every container facility. Those wishing to host their own version can subscribe to automatic synchronous updates to ensure they are always up to date.  In addition, the API serves both the BIC Facility Code and the SMDG Ocean Terminal code lists, meaning the industry can access a one-stop API for the 11,000+ BIC Facility Codes and 900+ SMDG Ocean Terminal Codes.

The BIC Facility Code, or “Locode”, was originally developed under international standard ISO 9897, assigned to the BIC in 1997 and is now a listed “child code” of the UN/Locode. Adoption of the harmonized codes is expected to result in smoother communication between parties, quicker identification of facilities by third parties such as motor carriers and telematics providers, more efficient lessor-leasee communications related to on/off-hires, and better visibility for BCOs. Looking ahead, geo-features (geo-fencing coordinates) are planned, which will make the database even more valuable for operators of smart containers or assets looking to automatically confirm the facility in which a container is located, or to enable location-based automation.

“Over the last few years our industry’s data silo mentality has rapidly given way to a new appreciation of standardization and the efficient sharing of data.  This new focus has allowed us to conduct a global facility code harmonization we have long wished to complete, thanks in large part to the DCSA’s assistance in actively engaging the major carriers. Moreover, the participants are eager to embrace the API, which will ensure the harmonized codes are widely available and in sync going forward.  We see this as an important enabler for digitalization efforts underway in the industry,” said Douglas Owen, Secretary General of the BIC.

“At the outset of DCSA, our Chairman André Simha pointed to the non-standard facility code as a simple yet effective example of the kind of standardization where the industry needs to play catch up with other industries, such as air travel, which utilizes a standard airport code worldwide,” said Thomas Bagge, CEO DCSA.  “With the standardization of the BIC Facility Code and the API, the container transportation industry is one step closer to this goal. This is a good example of the foundational work required to make digital transformation a reality in container shipping, and we are pleased to be a part of this important collaboration with BIC.”

To learn more about the BIC Facility Code API or to consult it online, visit the API Information Page

About the BIC

Founded under the auspices of the International Chamber of Commerce in 1933 as a neutral, non-profit, international organization, the BIC today has over 2500 members in 130 countries.   The BIC has played an important role in the growth of containerization, with its long-established and active role in the development and maintenance of industry standards.  Publisher of the BIC Code Register since 1970, the BIC has been the industry’s global container prefix registry for over 50 years.  Since 2013 the BIC has also operated the Global ACEP Database under the guidance of the IMO.  In 2016, the BIC launched the BoxTech Global Container Database (bic-boxtech.org) to help improve efficiency and safety in the supply chain, and to help simplify compliance with SOLAS container weight reporting requirements.

The BIC holds official observer status as an NGO at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the World Customs Organization (WCO), and the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) and works closely with the ISO and other standards organizations.

About DCSA

Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) is a neutral, non-profit group founded by major ocean carriers to digitise and standardise the container shipping industry. With the mission of leading the industry towards systematic collaboration, DCSA drives initiatives to make container transportation services transparent, reliable, easy to use, secure and environmentally friendly. DCSA’s open source standards are developed based on input from DCSA member carriers, industry stakeholders and technology experts from other industries. DCSA member carriers include:  MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, Evergreen, Yang Ming, HMM and ZIM. Please download DCSA standards at dcsa.org.

For further information:

BIC Media contact: [email protected] or connect on LinkedIn

DCSA Media contact: [email protected] or connect on LinkedIn

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The Bureau International des Containers (BIC) is pleased to announce that the UNODC-WCO Container Control Programme (CCP) has won the 2018 BIC Award which was recently presented at the World Customs Organization headquarters in Brussels.

The Container Control Programme (CCP) is a program run jointly by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The CCP helps strengthen international supply chain security by building the capacities of national border agencies in tackling threats related to sea, land and air cargo. It develops cooperation among national law enforcement authorities and private sector entities such as port operators and shipping lines.

The CCP’s efforts have resulted in seizures of a wide range of prohibited goods, such as weapons, proceeds of fisheries, forest, wildlife and other environmental crimes, prohibited drugs, strategic goods, falsified or unlicensed medicines, precursors for drugs and weapons, cigarettes, and goods which are counterfeit or otherwise violate intellectual property law.

Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the WCO and Mr. John Brandolino, Director, Division for Treaty Affairs of the UNODC, received the BIC award on the opening day of the annual Enforcement Committee meeting on the 11^th March 2019 at the World Customs Organization headquarters in Brussels.

Each year, the BIC’s Board of Directors select a single candidate from a pool of industry nominees. The BIC award honors individuals or organizations for notable contributions to safety, security, standardization, or sustainability in containerized transportation.

Presenting the BIC Award alongside Douglas Owen, Secretary General of the BIC, Giordano Bruno Guerrini, the BIC Chairman of the Board commented: “The Container Control Program has been selected for its successes in improving security and mitigating smuggling in container transportation. The BIC believes that the capacity-building efforts of the CCP, and its important work in promoting advanced risk-assessment around the world, are to be applauded and encouraged.”   

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