Facilitating the implementation of DCSA bill of lading (B/L) standards
AMSTERDAM, June 21, 2021 – To facilitate implementation of its bill of lading (B/L) standards, DCSA today released interface standards for the submission of shipping instructions and B/L issuance, including API definitions, and will soon release an API reference implementation. These standards will enable shippers to process a standardised electronic bill of lading (eBL) from all carriers that have implemented the standards. Carrier customers looking for a standardised approach to eBL from multiple carriers can include these standards as requirements in their procurement process.
The DCSA Interface Standard for the Electronic Bill of Lading can be freely downloaded from the DCSA web site. The API definitions are published on SwaggerHub, and the reference implementation will soon be available on GitHub.
This is the second publication of the multi-year DCSA eDocumentation initiative which will deliver standards to enable digitalisation of end-to-end container shipping documentation, starting with the B/L. Through this initiative, DCSA aims to facilitate acceptance and adoption of an eBL by regulators, banks and insurers and to unify communication between these organisations and customers, carriers and all other stakeholders involved in a transaction.
Subsequent releases of DCSA’s eDocumentation initiative will include data and process standards for: booking request and confirmation, arrival notice and release shipment.
Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) is a neutral, non-profit group founded by major ocean carriers to digitise and standardise the container shipping industry. With the mission of leading the industry towards systematic collaboration, DCSA drives initiatives to make container transportation services transparent, reliable, easy to use, secure and environmentally friendly. DCSA’s open source standards are developed based on input from DCSA member carriers, industry stakeholders and technology experts from other industries. DCSA member carriers include: MSC, Maersk, CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, Evergreen, Yang Ming, HMM and ZIM. Please download DCSA standards at dcsa.org.
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SubscribeThe meeting was part of Commissioner Bentzel’s Maritime Transportation Data Initiative (MTDI) of which the final recommendations will be published soon.
The release supports enhanced visibility for multiple modes of transport and cargo types.
Nine ocean carriers commit to converting 50% of original bills of lading to digital within five years and 100% by 2030 to accelerate the digitalisation of container trade
