SAN ANTONIO – UPS and HerdX, an agri-tech and data company, announced a global logistics partnership at a dinner featuring Creekstone Farms beef tracked from the United States to Japan using blockchain technology.

HerdX is able to provide end consumers with provenance data from its blockchain partner network using its open source platform, data collection and analysis capabilities. UPS developed a tool that connects to HerdX’s blockchain technology and provides authenticated data points throughout the shipment journey. HerdX and UPS demonstrated the technology at a special event held in a Tokyo steakhouse. The dinner featured USDA certified Black Angus beef from Creekstone Farms that was shipped by air freight wrapped in UPS Temperature True packaging. The packaging contains sensors that monitor and record temperature throughout the shipment.

“UPS Logistics and Freight services more than 220 countries and territories worldwide, making it a perfect fit for HerdX,” said Ron Hicks, founder and CEO of HerdX. “Our official international logistics partnership gives HerdX unprecedented scaling power, which in turn provides incredible expansion opportunities for American cattle producers.”

Romaine Seguin, UPS president of Global Freight Forwarding, said, “We’re committed to upholding HerdX’s industry-leading quality assurance and traceability standards for all customers eyeing international growth moving forward.”

The celebratory dinner came after the United States and Japan signed a bilateral trade agreement that opened the Japanese market to US beef. Hicks noted  that, “…we are thrilled to receive the support from the US Embassy in Tokyo, following the US and Japan trade deal that was recently signed in New York in September of this year, expanding both United States and Japan market access to more farm, industrial, and digital products. The timing couldn’t be more perfect to work together with both UPS and Japanese companies to grow bilateral trade opportunities.”