DCSA eBL Standard

The DCSA eBL standard is an open, royalty-free data and interface specification for the electronic bill of lading, published by the Digital Container Shipping Association to make eBL platforms interoperable so a document issued on one solution can transfer to another. It defines a standard eBL data set plus OpenAPI interfaces for issuance, transfer of possession, surrender, and amendment. In 2023 the nine DCSA-member carriers committed to issue 100% of original bills of lading electronically by 2030 and 50% by 2028. Legal enforceability rests on MLETR-aligned law.