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The Future International Trade (FIT) Alliance has unveiled findings on the pace and status of electronic bill of lading (eB/L) adoption globally, garnered from a survey undertaken in September and October.

In the two years since the first such survey was undertaken in 2022, the proportion of users adopting eB/Ls has risen steadily. The share of dual-format users, or those using both paper B/Ls and eB/Ls, has surged from 28% to 41.7%. As a result, the overall adoption rate-encompassing users of eB/Ls exclusively or alongside paper B/Ls-has risen from 33% to 49.2%. In other words, nearly half of the respondents now incorporate eB/Ls in some capacity, and 74.7% of paper-only users plan to transition to eB/Ls, up from 58%. Within this group, 32.2% intend to adopt within the next two years, up from 22%.

Respondents overwhelmingly agree that eB/Ls unlock wider digitalization, with those agreeing increasing to 94% from 86%. Among the key benefits cited were faster transaction processing (94.2%), cost reductions through greater process efficiency (89.8%), improved accuracy of data (87.3%) and strengthened security measures (89.2%).

Despite these gains, the survey also highlighted challenges that continue to hinder eB/L adoption. Technological and platform-related issues remain the most cited barrier, identified by 71.2% of the respondents. Stakeholder readiness follows closely, with 61.7% emphasizing the need for better preparation and collaboration among supply chain participants.

The FIT Alliance was formed in February 2022 with five founding members: the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT).


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