The Digital Container Shipping Association (DCSA) has released interface standards for the submission of shipping instructions and bill of lading (B/L) issuance, including application programming interface (API) definitions, aiming to facilitate implementation of its B/L standards.
DCSA, which will soon release an API reference implementation, said that 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, according to an announcement.
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.
