Singapore’s ONE to Adopt DCSA’s eBL Standard Through GSBN

Singapore-based container shipping company Ocean Network Express (ONE) is set to embrace the Digital Container Shipping Association’s (DCSA) electronic bill of lading (eBL) standard, as announced by the Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN).

GSBN, a non-profit consortium that offers a blockchain network for paperless trade, disclosed that it is collaborating closely with ONE to facilitate the adoption of the eBL standard, aiming to expedite the transition to digital solutions for the latter’s customers.

The process of adopting new digital solutions can be time-consuming and costly for customers due to the diverse systems and processes employed by different carriers. This lack of standardization often results in inefficiencies and complexities for customers managing international shipments with multiple carriers.

ONE is committed to continuing its adoption of the DCSA standard, including the latest standard released in December 2024, for eBLs issued via GSBN’s infrastructure. This initiative enables customers to handle eBLs from various carriers on a unified platform, streamlining onboarding processes and enhancing workflow efficiency.

“We envision a future of paperless international trade and are actively developing eBL solutions to provide an efficient customer experience. This focus on innovation will drive operational efficiency, strengthen collaboration with our ecosystem partners, and deliver added value to our customers,” expressed Kosuke Wada, Executive Vice President of ONE.

“As the industry navigates towards an era of increasing uncertainty, the eBL has become a crucial enabler of resilience and value creation. ONE has been at the forefront of embracing digital innovations. At GSBN, we are committed to empowering our Members like ONE to achieve their digitalization objectives in a scalable and robust manner. We anticipate further advancements within our ecosystem to enhance the overall value of eBL for all our Members,” noted Bertrand Chen, CEO of GSBN.

Having joined GSBN in 2023, ONE is among the four major container carriers issuing eBLs via GSBN, alongside COSCO, OOCL, and Hapag Lloyd.

This latest development signifies ONE’s second product adoption through the GSBN platform, following the successful implementation of cargo release. It also marks ONE as the second DCSA member collaborating with GSBN to fulfill its 100% eBL adoption commitment, following Hapag Lloyd’s announcement in April 2024.

Last year, Hapag-Lloyd opted to utilize IQAX eBL for issuing eBLs over GSBN infrastructure, reinforcing its pledge to achieve full eBL adoption by 2030 and provide an effective digital solution to address the volatile and complex needs of the supply chain.