• Immediate document availability within a secure environment
• Reduce risks of theft/fraud and costs to transport paper OBLs
• Potential for automating the full documentation chain (auto issuance/release, immediate payment release, etc)

Countries need to adopt UNCITRAL MLETR (incorporation in local legislation).

As a stop-gap solution eBL solution providers have rulebooks or bylaws that they ask all parties to sign. They are in essence a mutual agreement to treat an eBL equivalently to a paper document.

Customs Manifest is still being done as usual, adopting eBL does not change that. So for any countries that physical B/L are not required to be presented, the bylaws of the platform are enough to implement the solution.

• No interconnectivity across platforms
• All parties must be part of the same platform (if not, switch to paper)
• Customs not ready/accepting eBL

While a Sea Waybill has no commercial value, an eB/L is exactly as a master B/L - it is negotiable / endorsable and acts as a title of ownership.

Chances are that seaway bills (current around 50% of bills are SWB) might be no longer needed with eBL fully rolled-out.

A scanned copy is not an eB/L. An eB/L requires:

• Confirmation of title of ownership (including ability for electronic endorsement)
• Unique copy (only exists in electronic format)

Moving from PDF into fully replacing the BL document for structured data.