GSBN has appointed BIMCO to its board as the organisations deepen work on electronic Bills of Lading and common digital standards across shipping. With more than 45 million paper Bills of Lading exchanged each year, the move has direct implications for shipowners and managers handling documentation across chartering, cargo and trade finance.
The appointment brings BIMCO into GSBN’s board as both organisations seek wider adoption of electronic Bills of Lading, supported by common standards and interoperability across the maritime sector.
The two organisations have already worked together on eBL adoption and industry standards. Their latest step comes as ISO 5909 provides a common framework for electronic Bills of Lading, with GSBN working with BIMCO and other industry bodies on adoption across container, bulk and specialised shipping.
The issue is broader than replacing a paper document with a digital version. In bulk and commodity trades, Bills of Lading can form part of documentation presented to banks for trade finance. Electronic presentation alongside other trade documents could reduce the physical handling of original documents and connect shipping documentation more closely with banking processes.
“The transition to paperless trade depends on trusted collaboration, common standards and broad industry participation,” said Bertrand Chen, CEO at GSBN. “The introduction of ISO 5909 represents an important milestone in helping drive greater interoperability and confidence in electronic trade documentation. BIMCO has been an important partner in this journey, and we are delighted to deepen our collaboration as we work together to accelerate eBL adoption across the maritime industry.”
Grant Hunter, Chief Digital Officer at BIMCO, said, “As electronic documentation continues to accelerate, industry alignment around standards and interoperability will become increasingly important. We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with GSBN and its ecosystem partners to support practical, standards-based digitalisation across global shipping.”
BIMCO represents 2,100 members across 120 countries, including shipowners, operators, managers, brokers and agents. GSBN says its network covers more than half of the containers handled globally, bringing shipping lines, terminals, banks and technology providers into the same digital ecosystem.
Wider eBL adoption could reduce administrative handling and give documentation workflows a more consistent digital structure across different counterparties and trades.
