News
Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA)'s nine ocean carrier members have committed to a 100% adoption of an electronic bill of lading (eB/L) based on DCSA standards by 2030.
The bill of lading (B/L) is one of the most important trade documents in container shipping. It functions as a document of title, receipt for shipped goods and a record of agreed terms and conditions. Ocean carriers issue around 45 million B/Ls a year. In 2021, however, only 1.2%of these were electronic.
Manual, paper-based processes are time-consuming, expensive and environmentally unsustainable for stakeholders along complex supply chains. Paper-based processes breakdown when cargo in ports cannot be gated out because original B/Ls, or title documents fail to arrive or cannot be manually processed in time. In contrast, digital processes enable data to flow instantly and securely, reducing delays and waste. Transforming document exchange through the eB/L will accelerate digitalization to benefit customers, banks, customs and government authorities, ocean shipping service providers and all maritime supply chain stakeholders.
The nine members are MSC, A.P. Moller-Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express (ONE), Evergreen Marine, Yang Ming Marine Transport, HMM and Zim Integrated Shipping Services.
