Every year, trillions of dollars’ worth of goods move through global trade routes that rely on container shipping. Yet despite its central role, the industry still relies on paper-based systems to manage a surprising number of processes. The bill of lading remains central to international commerce, with electronic bills of lading (eBLs) making up about 11% of the roughly 45 million issued annually. While this represents strong progress that tracks ahead of benchmarks set by many adoption initiatives, most major carriers are now committed to reaching 100% eBL adoption by 2030. Interoperability is the lever that will make that ambition achievable.

To date, structural complexity has proven to be a blocker to further adoption. EBL platforms initially evolved as point solutions, designed to meet the needs of individual providers or specific sectors rather than the industry as a whole. Legal recognition of digital documents varied across jurisdictions, common technical standards were missing, and workflows often failed to align. The effect has been that many shippers, carriers, banks and freight forwarders continue to rely on paper rather than juggle multiple systems, interfaces and contracts.

The Promise of Interoperability

Interoperability changes that. It means an eBL issued on one platform can be transferred, updated or accepted on another without losing its legal validity, data integrity or control. Think of it as the equivalent of mobile roaming. Each user stays with their preferred provider, yet connectivity is seamless across networks. The registry layer is the trust mechanism that makes roaming possible in practice. It ensures that, at any point in time, there is one authoritative record of control, so exchanges remain secure, transparent and free from duplication.

To do this for an eBL, systems must bring together three elements that have historically worked in isolation: the technical standards that allow systems to communicate, the legal agreements that ensure enforceability across platforms, and the process alignment that makes handovers such as endorsement, surrender and transfer consistent and predictable. When these elements combine, previously siloed networks become a connected ecosystem.

A Breakthrough Moment

This year has demonstrated that efforts to address this problem are bearing fruit. In May, CargoX and edoxOnline completed the first live, fully interoperable eBL transaction, working with shipper Suzano and carrier HMM. An eBL issued on one platform was securely transferred, accepted and completed on another — something that until recently was not possible.

DCSA’s own interoperability framework made this milestone possible. It combines three essential elements: a standardised API that connects different platforms, a shared legal agreement that establishes trust across providers, and a control registry that tracks where an eBL is held at any moment to prevent duplication. Together, these components provide the technical, legal and operational foundations for cross-platform exchanges, enabling businesses to work with their preferred systems while staying connected across the wider ecosystem. By removing one of the industry’s hardest technical and legal challenges, the framework clears the path for eBL adoption to accelerate at pace.

Making Interoperability the Norm

The next phase is about breadth and routine use. A second wave of cross-platform transactions is expected in the second half of 2025, involving more carriers, shippers and solution providers. These implementations will test more complex routes and operational scenarios and will help the industry build confidence that interoperable transfers can be embedded in day-to-day workflows.

What will move the needle now is a shared expectation that interoperability is standard. Carriers can set requirements that the platforms they use support cross-platform exchange. Shippers can select interoperable providers when initiating transactions, which strengthens demand signals for the ecosystem. Platform providers can implement the necessary technical, legal and control-tracking components so their customers can connect across networks without friction. Each of these choices expands the network effect and accelerates adoption for everyone else.

Now, interoperable eBLs have been proven in a live, multi-party setting. The technical, legal and trust layers work together. What remains to be accomplished is adoption at scale. If the industry now treats interoperability as the default, it can finally achieve the efficiency, resilience and customer experience gains that digital documentation has long promised.

Mariana Bock-Losada is chief growth officer at the non-profit Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA).