Joint statement on the results of the 2026 global survey on electronic Bills of Lading (eBL) by the FIT Alliance, co-founded by ICC, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) and Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift). Conducted in partnership with Shanghai Maritime University and the Digital Supply Chain Institute (DSCI), the survey finds that the majority of respondents now use eBLs in some capacity and identifies interoperability as the defining challenge of the next phase of adoption.
Adoption: 51.1% of respondents now use eBLs, exclusively or alongside paper, up from 49.2% in 2024.
Business case: 93.8% see eBLs as a key enabler of wider trade digitalisation
Barriers: Interoperability and platform fragmentation emerged as the most-cited concern, identified in 46.2% of substantive open-ended responses, followed by legal effectiveness and authenticity verification at 41.5%.
Priority for 2027: interoperability, with a focus on enabling eBLs to move more easily across platforms, jurisdictions and participants.
eBL adoption continues to climb through 2026
The 2026 survey finds that 51.1% of respondents report using eBLs at least in part, consistent with the upward trajectory observed in 2022 and 2024. The breakdown provides a clear picture on transition: 39.9% of respondents operate in dual-format mode — running paper and electronic bills of lading in parallel — while 11.2% have transitioned to exclusive eBL use. The industry has moved beyond early adoption into a transitional phase but the complete replacement of paper remains the exception rather than the rule.
An enabler of digitalisation
eBLs remain widely viewed as a cornerstone of broader digital transformation in trade. In 2026, 93.8% of respondents (94.0% in 2024) continue to identify eBLs as a key enabler of wider digitalisation. Respondents rank faster processing as the leading benefit, followed by improved handling, data accuracy, enhanced security, cost savings through process efficiencies, and the elimination of courier costs. Environmental benefits — reduced paper use and lower transport emissions — are rated important by approximately two-thirds of respondents. The consistency of these findings across survey rounds suggests that the business case for eBLs is now well established, with the focus increasingly shifting towards implementation at scale.
Interoperability as the next challenge
When respondents were asked in their own words what is holding eBL adoption back at scale, interoperability and platform fragmentation emerged as the most-cited concern — named in 46.2% of substantive open-ended responses. Legal effectiveness and authenticity verification followed at 41.5%, along with implementation and onboarding at scale (41.5%). Concerns related to banks, insurance, buyers and trade finance were cited by 32.3% of respondents.
This pattern reflects the maturation of the legal landscape. As more jurisdictions bring their statute books into line with the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR), the question is no longer whether an eBL is legally recognised but whether its control, transfer and verification can be relied upon as it moves across platforms, jurisdictions and participants. This is fundamentally a question of interoperability.
Limited adoption in banking
The 2026 survey identifies banking as the sector facing the greatest interoperability challenges. Among bank respondents, 22.2% report at least partial eBL use, while 75% continue to rely on paper only. No bank respondent reports using eBLs exclusively. The adoption-awareness gap flagged in 2024 persists in 2026: banks are not resisting digital trade in principle but require assurance that a document can move across the ecosystem, rather than within a single platform.
The implementation agenda for 2027 and beyond
The 2026 findings point to one strategic priority: interoperability. The next phase of adoption will require eBLs to move more easily across platforms, jurisdictions and participants, without being tied to the system on which they were issued. Further progress, particularly in banking and trade finance, will depend on this transition. The Alliance will focus its 2027 agenda on advancing interoperability.
Pamela Mar, Managing Director, ICC Digital Standards Initiative said:
“The survey shows that eBL adoption continues to gain momentum. The conversation is no longer whether eBLs work but how we make them work seamlessly across platforms, jurisdictions and trade participants. Interoperability is the defining challenge of the next stage of digital trade transformation, and ICC DSI is working with industry partners to advance the open standards and practical frameworks needed to support this transition at scale.”
Grant Hunter, Chief Technology and Data Officer, BIMCO said:
“It’s good to see continuing steady growth in the iron ore trades where a target of 25% of cargo on eBLs by 2025 was not only met but exceeded. Other bulk trades are now beginning their eBL journey – notably in the bulk agricultural sector. The pace remains slow but the promise of interoperability is a significant motivator for those contemplating going digital.”
To support wider eBL adoption, the FIT Alliance continues to develop its Guide to eBL Adoption and complementary resources, including the ICC DSI MLETR Tracker, which tracks MLETR adoption across 194 economies.
