A steady rise in the adoption of electronic Bills of Lading (eBL) has been revealed by the results of a 2024 global survey by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and other FIT Alliance co-founders BIMCO, DCSA, FIATA and SWIFT.
Strong momentum in eBL Adoption
Since the first eBL survey in summer 2022, the proportion of user adoption of eBL has steadily increased. The share of dual-format users (those using both paper and electronic bills of lading) has surged from 28.0% in 2022 to 41.7% in 2024. The overall adoption rate—encompassing users of eBLs, exclusively or alongside paper BLs —rose from 33.0% to 49.2%.
In other words, nearly half of respondents now incorporate eBLs in some capacity, and 74.7% of paper-only users plan to transition to eBLs, up from 58.0% in 2022. Within this group, 32.2% intend to adopt within the next two years, compared to 22.0% in 2022.
About the FIT Alliance
Established in February 2022, the FIT Alliance (“Future International Trade”) brings together BIMCO, DCSA, FIATA, ICC, and SWIFT to drive the adoption of a universal, standards-based electronic bill of lading (eBL) across all sectors of the shipping industry. The Alliance focuses on raising awareness about the benefits of digital trade, promoting interoperable data standards, and harmonising legislative conditions across jurisdictions.
The FIT Alliance aims to facilitate eBL acceptance and adoption among shippers, consignees, carriers, regulators, solution providers, banks, and insurers, fostering seamless communication and collaboration among all stakeholders in international trade.
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