Momentum is growing globally for eBL adoption
The steady development of eBLs in the global trade ecosystem is highlighted by the international survey conducted by FIT Alliance in 2026. The new data confirms a growth already observed in the previous editions (made in 2022 and 2024) and points to a new priority for the sector: to guaranty the interoperability of the digital platforms.
The survey was conducted by the FIT Alliance, a partnership co-founded by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), BIMCO, the Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA), the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) and Swift, in partnership with Shanghai Maritime University and the Digital Supply Chain Institute (DSCI).
“The results show that most respondents are now utilizing electronic Bills of Lading to some degree. But the next wave of adoption will be increasingly driven by the efficiency of systems to exchange and validate electronic trade documents.
The survey points to a number of key developments, including:
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2026 will bring an increase in eBL adoption to 51.1% (49.2% in 2024; 33.0% in 2022).
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The proportion of pure electronic Bills of Lading rose from 7.5% to 11.2% in 2024.
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Concluding, 93.8% of respondents see eBLs as an enabler for wider digital transformation in trade, the same as in 2024 (94.0%).
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The most cited problems were fragmentation of digital platforms and interoperability.
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The uptake rate by banks is relatively low with 22.2% of bank respondents reporting using eBLs on an at least occasional basis (up from 21.1% in 2024).
Exclusively for electronics Start
Total Usage Ratio Number of organizations using electronic Bills of Lading only Number of organizations using electronic documents and traditional paper processes. Adoption increases to 51.1% from 33.0% in 2022. Slightly better than 49.2% for 2024.
Numbers also suggest a slow drift away from hybrid practice. The percentage of respondents who use only eBLs will increase to 11.2% in 2026, from 7.5% two years ago. The implied figure for 2022 was about 5%.
Paper documents still exist in the trade landscape, but the increasing use of electronic-only documents points to a move from early experimentation to more mature operational practices in the adoption process.
Digital transformation remains a major driver
Electronic Bills of Lading – very high level of confidence, broader value is In the 2026 survey, 93.8% of respondents saw eBLs as a means to catalyze broader digital transformation in international trade. This is close to the 94.0% observed in 2024, and a marked increase over the 86.0% observed in 2022.
Respondents still cite the ability to run more efficiently as a key benefit. The main advantage is its speed. The result is better document management, more accurate data, better security, cost savings through more efficient procedures and the elimination of courier costs. *Ranking is based on 2024 survey data;
And the environment needs to be digitally recorded. Two thirds of respondents said they valued the benefit of reducing paper use and transport emissions.
The results are proving the unquestionable value of eBLs for the majority of the participants in the industry. The bigger challenge is how do you take that recognition and make that a reality in consistent large scale implementation across international trade networks.”
Interoperability is front and center
The survey changed how concerns were reported by respondents in 2026. Participants were asked to write comments in free text as opposed to select from pre-determined categories to allow for a wider range of insight into barriers to implementation.
The most common problems raised were interoperability and platform fragmentation. Other key challenges included the legal status of eBLs, verification of the authenticity of eBLs and practical challenges in implementing eBLs and scaling up the onboarding of participants.
This points to an industry evolution as the legal infrastructure for e-trade documents continues to develop. 55 per cent said legal acceptance was the biggest challenge. 42.6% (2022) declined to 42.6% in 2024.
The figures show that legal recognition is a big issue, but it is not the only thing to look at when considering adoption. The transfer of electronic Bill of Lading between different platforms and different parties raises increasing concerns on the trust, authentication and transferability.
“Interoperability is not just a technical requirement but a real world requirement for international trade. The benefit of digital documentation is limited to the individual platforms or closed loops without good interconnectivity of the systems.
Adoption remains a major challenge for the banking sector
The banking industry is a prime example that demonstrates the challenge of moving from awareness to broad adoption. In 2026, only 22.2% of banks said they had used electronic Bills of Lading, up a little from 21.1% in 2024.
Despite a high level of awareness reported in the previous survey (82.5% of bank respondents were aware of eBLs), progress has been slow. So it does not close the gap between awareness and actual use already identified in 2024.
Digital trade documents are so much more than a digital platform for banks”. Financial institutions need to be confident in the legal, technical and network level assurance that an eBL’s control, status and transfer can be verified through its lifecycle and across the wider ecosystem.
The verification needs to be reliable because the document moves from system to system, not only in the issuing platform. This requirement is a driver for interoperability as a key component for the scaling efforts for adoption in banking and trade finance.
Until such guaranties are available across the relevant networks, structural barriers to wider implementation are likely to persist in the sector.
Next phase requires common standards, not a single platform
The FIT Alliance’s findings for 2026 indicate that interoperability is the number one strategic priority for the next phase of electronic Bill of Lading adoption.
The industry has made significant progress, but further development depends on enabling secure and efficient movement of electronic trade documents and trusted data between platforms, jurisdictions and market participants.
This objective does not require a single technological solution to be imposed on the entire market. The priority is to maintain the diversity of users and technical approaches while establishing common standards and frameworks that enable disparate systems to interoperate.
The current model relies heavily on electronic Bills of Lading being kept as records in the systems of individual solution providers. Transfers between platforms thus depend on bilateral or multilateral interoperability agreements. This approach has supported adoption thus far, but encounters limitations for more complex global trade networks.
The FIT Alliance believes that electronic Bills of Lading must be portable to enable seamless transit across international trade routes. Under this approach an eBL would be a data object, based on standards, designed to travel between systems, jurisdictions and participants, without being tied to the platform on which it was issued.
This shift would help overcome the fragmentation that currently constrains broader implementation. It would also be especially important to banking and trade finance where problems in the exchange and validation of electronic documents can have serious operational consequences.
The FIT Alliance and its partners have committed to accelerate this collective effort so that interoperability can become a concrete building block for global digital trade.
The survey’s message is clear: electronic Bills of Lading are gaining acceptance, but continued growth will depend on the industry’s ability to connect its digital infrastructure. Building interoperable systems and common standards will be key to moving from widespread acceptance to reliable, large-scale use across the international trade ecosystem.
