What Carriers and Banks Should Know Before Adopting an eBL Platform

November 13, 2025 By Yodaplus

Electronic Bills of Lading (eBLs) are quickly becoming the standard for global trade. For carriers, they mean faster transfers, fewer disputes, and lower paperwork costs. For banks, eBLs provide stronger control over trade documents, better tracking, and easier automation in letters of credit and supply chain finance.

Before adopting an eBL platform, carriers and banks should evaluate their legal, technical, and operational readiness. This guide explains the key things to consider.

1) Legal enforceability and P&I Club approval

Start by checking the legal framework under which the eBL will operate. The UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR) serves as a reference for many countries working toward recognizing electronic documents as legally valid.

It’s also important to verify P&I Club approval. The International Group of P&I Clubs (IG P&I) publishes a list of eBL providers that meet its security and reliability standards. Choosing an approved platform helps shipowners and carriers ensure that their use of electronic documentation is supported for insurance and liability purposes.

 

2) Tangible ROI in time and cost

eBLs reduce document cycles from several days to just a few hours. Reports suggest savings of up to US$6.5 billion annually across the industry, with potential to unlock an additional US$30–40 billion in trade. These savings come from lower courier costs, faster payments, and reduced demurrage or detention charges.

Adoption continues to rise. Surveys show that 49% of users now use eBLs either fully or partially, up from 33% in 2022. Yet only about 2% of all bills of lading are currently issued electronically, which means there is still vast potential for early adopters to gain efficiency and competitive advantage.

3) Standards and interoperability

• Interoperability in digital trade depends on open protocols and open standards. Frameworks like TradeTrust enable different platforms to exchange and verify documents seamlessly. By supporting common data formats and trusted validation, TradeTrust ensures smooth, secure, and scalable interoperability across global trade networks.

4) Controls for title, transfer, and audit

An eBL represents ownership and control of goods. Treat it as a financial instrument that demands strict governance. A reliable platform should include:

• Verified digital identities and tamper-proof audit logs.

• Atomic title transfer with clear proof of control and revocation procedures.

• Conditional release linked to payment or letter of credit terms.

• Immutable time-stamped logs for full traceability.

These safeguards significantly reduce the risk of fraud, speed up document checks, and make compliance verification much easier for banks.

5) Operational readiness and exception handling

Technology alone cannot deliver results without proper processes. Organizations must define:

• Standard operating procedures for issuance, endorsement, surrender, and amendment.

• Exception playbooks that explain what happens when cargo arrives before title transfer or when a consignee rejects a document.

• Contingency plans for reverting to paper if needed.

• Training programs for agents, banking staff, and legal teams to ensure consistent adoption.

6) Measuring success and ROI

The best way to track value is through measurable outcomes. Key metrics include:

• Time saved per BL between cargo loading and document release.

• Reduction in document discrepancies under letters of credit.

• Lower demurrage and detention costs due to faster title availability.

• Hours saved in documentation processing and verification.

Real-world use cases report hours of manual work saved per BL and faster financing cycles for banks involved in trade finance.

7) Adoption momentum and future outlook

Momentum is building across shipping and trade. BIMCO’s “25 by 25” initiative recently achieved over 25% eBL usage in iron ore trades, while container lines are steadily expanding adoption. More countries are enacting laws that align with MLETR, giving carriers and banks greater confidence in using digital documents.

For organizations that have been waiting for the right moment, now is the time to act. Early adoption helps carriers and banks modernize workflows, cut costs, and strengthen compliance before eBLs become the default standard.

How Docutrade helps

DocuTrade, developed by Yodaplus, is a digital trade documentation platform that enables the creation, exchange, and management of electronic Bills of Lading (eBLs) and other trade-related documents using blockchain technology. The platform is MLETR-compliant, aligns with ICC DSI and UNCITRAL standards, and is certified by IGP&I, ensuring global credibility and trust. It is also interoperable via the TradeTrust framework, which supports open standards and enables seamless document verification and exchange across multiple trade systems.

Docutrade enables seamless issuance, endorsement, and surrender of eBLs with audit-ready records, advanced API integrations, and legally recognized digital signatures. It bridges the operational gap between traditional paper processes and modern trade digitization, helping you move from pilot to production with confidence.