Announcement

From issuance to surrender: KTNET and HMM test eBL Korea on DCSA standards

5 Min read | November 5, 2026
The bill of lading is one of the most important documents in international trade. Issued by the carrier, it functions as a receipt for the cargo, evidence of the contract of carriage and a document of title, and because the holder is entitled to claim the goods, the bill of lading can be sold, transferred along the chain and pledged as security with banks.The electronic bill of lading (eBL) performs the same functions without paper. It is held on an eBL platform, a secure digital service that records the holder at every point, from issuance through each transfer to surrender at destination.The challenge lies in the number of eBL platforms, each built independently. A carrier may issue in one or multiple platforms while the shipper, consignee or bank, each operate on another. Without common standards, each connection requires a custom integration, and each integration adds cost and complexity. The result is an eBL landscape that is difficult to scale.

KTNET built eBL Korea as an electronic bill of lading platform for global carriers

KTNET (Korea Trade Network) is South Korea’s designated national paperless trade infrastructure operator. It connects exporters, financial institutions and logistics providers to digitise trade. Its integrated, automated platform for electronic trade documents and eBLs aims to maximise trading efficiency and reduce transaction costs.The platform supports the issuance, transfer and surrender of eBLs within the legal framework for eBLs in the Republic of Korea. In June 2025, it received approval from the International Group of P&I Clubs (IGP&I), whose member clubs insure most of the world's ocean-going fleet.To serve global supply chains beyond its domestic market, KTNET needed eBL Korea to work with other systems. As international eBL adoption grows, documents increasingly need to move between platforms. Building a separate integration for each partner would add complexity and constrain adoption, so KTNET sought a common framework.

DCSA eBL standards provide interoperability with carriers and other platforms

KTNET adopted DCSA's eBL standards as that framework. A common, digital eBL standard makes it easier for eBL Korea to connect with multiple international carriers and interoperate with other eBL platforms, providing users with greater flexibility and convenience.DCSA’s eBL standards define how eBL data is structured and exchanged at three points:
  • Issuance: a carrier sends an eBL through an eBL platform.
  • Surrender: the eBL returns to the carrier at the end of its journey.
  • Platform interoperability (PINT): an eBL moves from one platform to another.
KTNET became the first eBL platform to join the DCSA+ Partnership Program in August 2025 and began implementing the standards and enhancing the platform in September 2025.

eBL Korea is confirmed conformant for DCSA eBL Issuance and Surrender

DCSA conformance testing verifies that an implementation exchanges data exactly as the standard specifies. It gives any carrier or platform connecting to eBL Korea a reliable basis for integration.In October 2025, eBL Korea was confirmed conformant for eBL Issuance and eBL Surrender, the two exchanges it conducts directly with carriers. In September 2026, KTNET completed PINT testing for eBL Korea's role in sending eBLs to, and receiving them from, other platforms.

Integration testing with HMM covered the full eBL lifecycle, from issuance to surrender

While conformance confirms that a platform follows the standard, it’s integration testing that truly confirms that the integration works with a live counterpart. KTNET's counterpart was HMM, a global container carrier headquartered in South Korea and a founding DCSA member.From April to August 2026, the two organisations tested their systems integration on DCSA standards. Testing began with onboarding, establishing the connection between HMM and eBL Korea. HMM then issued eBLs through eBL Korea through the DCSA Issuance API. The teams verified that the carrier's responses to requests initiated within the eBL platform, such as transfer, amendment requests, and switching to paper, were handled correctly. Finally, the eBLs were surrendered to HMM through the DCSA Surrender API, the step that enables cargo release.

Live shipments come next, with trade finance to follow

KTNET and HMM are targeting production deployment, meaning use of the connection for live shipments, within 2026.KTNET's ambitions extend further along the chain. As a document of title, the bill of lading is frequently held by banks as security in trade finance, and in many transactions it passes through banks before the buyer can claim the goods. KTNET plans to extend the environment around eBL Korea to financial institutions and, ultimately, to trade finance, enabling electronic trade documents to move from shipping operations through to financing.
The integration KTNET has completed extends beyond HMM. The DCSA Issuance and Surrender APIs it tested are available to any carrier connecting with eBL Korea, and PINT provides a common route to other platforms implementing DCSA standards. Each further connection builds on work already completed.eBL platforms and solution providers building on DCSA standards are invited to join KTNET in the DCSA+ Partnership Program.
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