Flexport has launched a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server designed to let shippers’ AI agents track shipments, obtain freight quotes and book cargo directly through its platform.
Announced Tuesday, the new server allows companies to connect tools such as Claude, ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, as well as their own internal AI agents. Requests can be made in plain language rather than through the Flexport platform itself.
According to Flexport, an agent can track shipments, identify exceptions or customs holds, search rates on any lane and complete bookings. It can also submit cargo details, book against negotiated rates and return a booking ID and transit time without requiring the user to log into Flexport.
The MCP launch is part of a broader technology release from the San Francisco-based freight forwarder, which says more than 13,000 companies use its services. The update also expands Flexport Atlas beyond ocean freight and introduces additional customs technology.
“The future of global logistics is autonomous: intelligent supply chains that see problems before they happen, calculate the fix, and execute it in a recurring self-improvement loop,” said Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO of Flexport, in the company’s release.
AI agents operate behind the MCP server
Requests submitted through the MCP server are handled by Flexport’s own AI agents. The company said those agents process 21 million tasks each year.
Flexport also uses a quoting agent that converts rate requests into customized quotes. Requests can arrive by email, through MCP or directly within the Flexport platform.
The company said each AI agent operates within guardrails established through a custom evaluation platform designed for governance and traceability. When an exception occurs, the case is routed to a human expert.
Customs tools add real-time audits and HTS classification
Flexport is also expanding its Customs Technology Suite as U.S. tariff policy continues to change frequently.
The company said the suite audits customs entries against hundreds of rules before they are submitted to government agencies. Customers can now create audit rules based on their own standard operating procedures. Those rules are applied to every entry in real time, with potential issues flagged to operations teams before filing.
The expanded auditing capability is currently live for U.S. entries. The Netherlands and the U.K. are next.
Flexport has also introduced a classification tool aimed at making the assignment of 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes more conversational. The system provides a recommended code within seconds, along with linked U.S. Customs and Border Protection rulings and the reasoning behind the recommendation in real time.
Users can then send the proposed code to one of Flexport’s licensed customs brokers for validation before filing.
Atlas expands beyond ocean freight
Flexport Atlas, the company’s no-cost global trade map that the company introduced in February, originally focused on the world’s ocean network.
The platform now includes air, rail and barge routing, allowing users to compare different transportation modes between any two locations.
Atlas has also gained an AI-curated disruption layer that monitors news sources for developments that could affect shipments. In addition, the platform now provides per-container emissions estimates for every ocean route.
Flexport opens automated fulfillment center near Chicago
The company has also opened its first fully automated e-commerce fulfillment center outside Chicago.
More than 350 robots move inventory to workers at the facility, which Flexport said operates at twice the efficiency of a traditional warehouse.
The opening follows Flexport’s expansion of its fulfillment network into Canada and the U.K. earlier this month, with facilities in Mississauga, Ontario, and Manchester, England.
Over the past year, Flexport has also established offices in eight additional countries: Japan, France, Belgium, Cambodia, Brazil, the Philippines, Australia and Indonesia.
The company now operates 47 offices worldwide. AI-powered translation in Japanese and French has also expanded the platform to 11 supported languages.
“Our goal is to let the companies we serve spend all their time developing amazing products, building their brand, and connecting with customers — with Flexport’s autonomous supply chain execution platform handling everything,” Petersen said.
Why it matters
Flexport’s latest release moves freight booking, tracking and quoting directly into the AI tools shippers are increasingly using.
At the same time, the company is retaining human oversight for exceptions and keeping licensed customs brokers involved in tariff-code validation before filings are submitted. For shippers, the new MCP connection means freight workflows can begin through the AI agents and tools they already use, rather than requiring a separate login to Flexport.
