Nine ocean carrier members of the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) have committed to 100% adoption of an electronic bill of lading (eBL) based on DCSA standards by 2030.

The bill of lading 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 bills of lading a year. In 2021, only 1.2%of these were electronic, according to DCSA’s data.