China RFID tag gets ISO blessing

The RFID tag invented by China is gaining popularity with its widespread use in ports such as Shanghai, Tiajin, Shenzhen, Dailan and Qingdao, and is expected to be adopted as the global norm.
The radio frequency identification tag, adopted by the International Standardisation Organisation, is based on an older RFID norm, and was released by the ISO in July after two years of discussions with Chinas’s engineers while fine-tuning the product. Fourteen countries gave their proposal, including Denmark, France, Germany and the United State.
The cargo tag was invented by Chinese engineer Bao Qifan, the current vice-president of Shanghai International Port Group, who is renowned for his expertise in renovation of port facilities in China.
The ISO said the China tag, called ISO/PAS 18186, specifies “how freight container logistics transparency and efficiency can be improved through use of an RFID cargo shipment tag system with an internet-based soft-ware package”.
“The RFID tag will form a network of logistics worldwide and make it possible for real-time monitoring of container flow from almost anywhere,” said David Ouyang, secretary-general of RFID China Alliance, base in Beijing.
The internet-linked RFID tag can automatically identify the serial number of a container, the exact time and frequency of the container’s opening and closing, real-time video capture of container operators, and tracking of container where abouts from remote terminals throughout the supply chain. Since it is integrated with the internet, it is easy to avoid wrong container deliveries, speed up container flow, boost cargo security and improve shipping efficiency.

On March 10, 2008, the first ship carrying containers with the new tag, CSCL-Ningbo, left Shanghai fo Savannah on the US East Coast, heralding the start of a new era. Within two years, more and more cargo producers, cargo owners, logistics providers and port operators from Canada, Russia, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia are contacting Shanghai for the use of the tag.
Bao’s main concern is the high cost of logistics in China. “The high cost of logistics has been bottleneck for the national economic growth in the mainland and the intelligent container tag could be the answer to the problem,” Bao said. “Moreover, the tag could ease security concerns.”
China has been promoting the use of RFID in a number of port cities. In Qingdao, the RFID has been applied to logistics control, management of processing lines and automobile monitoring apart from container shipping. “There’s no doubt the prospects for the industry and global shipping are huge,” Ouyang said.
The global spread and application of the China tag will not be simple as container standards are complicated. The new tag must co-exist with other system such as e-seals and plate tags. However, some analysts are optimistic about the China tag. Given the weight of the Chinese economy, the scale will tip towards this norm.

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