E-bills of lading on the move


Charlotte Winter and Matthew Plaistowe, at Norton Rose Fulbright, discuss the evolution of the use of e-bills and the likely developments ahead


There have been attempts since the 1980s to introduce electronic bills of lading (e-bills) to replace traditional paper bills. Take-up has been relatively slow, but in the past few years BOLERO and ESS (two e-bill providers which have been approved by the International Group of P&I Clubs) have reported rapid growth in the use of their platforms.