# Transfer bills of lading digitally via blockchain

> The Israeli ocean carrier ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. conducted a pilot test of paperless bills of lading based on blockchain technology. This trial was reported as one of the first carrier-led initiatives aimed at digitizing critical shipping documentation. The primary objective was to accelerate international trade workflows and reduce administrative delays across sea transport operations.

**Sector:** Tertiary sector · **Industry:** Shipping and maritime transport · **Organisation:** ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. · **Maturity level:** Pilot

Canonical URL: https://www.sapientblock.com/en/use-cases/zim-integrated-shipping-services-konnossemente-blockchain-papierlos-uebertragen

## Documentation status

- **Project status:** Pilot
- **Evidence:** Evidence medium
- **Editorial review:** pending

## Description

The shipping company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. tested the use of blockchain systems for issuing and transferring paperless bills of lading. Traditionally, original freight documents must be transported by courier around the globe, which regularly leads to delays in cargo release at destination ports. Digitalisation based on a distributed ledger allows this process to be handled in real time and tamper-proof.

In November 2017, the industry portal Maritime Executive reported a successful field trial by the Israeli liner shipping company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. In this test, paperless bills of lading were created and transferred between the involved freight parties based on blockchain technology. The project was considered one of the first trials of this kind directly managed by a globally operating sea freight carrier. The aim was to demonstrate that electronic freight documents can offer the same legal and operational protection as physical papers without sharing their logistical disadvantages. The initiative proved that digital bills of lading can significantly shorten administrative processing times in sea transport.

## Benefits

- Faster release of containers at destination ports
- Lower capital tie-up through quicker processing of letters of credit
- Accelerated handling of international freight processes
- Minimisation of the risk of forgery in value and ownership documents
- Reduction of administrative costs for worldwide document courier services
- Relief from error-prone manual verification processes
- Transparent real-time traceability of document status

## Challenges

- High integration effort into existing ERP and foreign trade systems of partners
- Lack of comprehensive legal recognition of digital bills of lading in all national legal systems
- Need for uniform industry standardisation across different shipping lines
- Transition of established workflows to purely digital authorisation steps

## Technology foundation

A distributed ledger technology was used for tamper-proof digital transmission and confirmation of freight documents, with the specific protocol described in publications as a proprietary partner solution.

## Sources

- [ZIM Trials Blockchain Bill of Lading](https://maritime-executive.com/article/zim-trials-blockchain-bill-of-lading)