The Global Shipping Business Network (GSBN) has announced an API integration with ODeX to facilitate the use of electronic bills of lading (eBL) in India. The integration allows users to process IQAX eBL directly within the ODeX platform.
By integrating the blockchain-based GSBN data infrastructure and the digital documents of IQAX onto the ODeX platform, the alliance aims to remove friction from the adoption of paperless trade. The initiative has already supported its first live shipment, involving a Hapag-Lloyd vessel travelling from Mundra, India, to Chicago in the US for Transmarinus Inc.
“One of the biggest challenges to scaling eBL today is the major fragmentation across systems and platforms. GSBN’s mission is to provide the neutral trust layer to connect these environments,” said Bertrand Chen, Chief Executive Officer of GSBN.
“By integrating with ODeX and enabling IQAX eBL within existing workflows, we are reducing complexity for users and making eBL easier to adopt at scale across the complete trade ecosystem.”
The integration replaces manual steps and couriered paper documents with digital data flows, which is intended to improve operational speed and transparency. IQAX focuses on digital trade intelligence, and its system allows users to connect data across multiple trade rails.
“Seamless eBL data flows transform digital documents into a foundation for trade intelligence. This integration with GSBN and ODeX lowers the barrier to eBL adoption while enabling customers to connect trusted data across multiple trade rails, improving visibility, decision making, and value creation across global trade,” said George Guo, Chief Executive Officer of IQAX.
Sanjay Singh Kushwah, Managing Director for India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh at Hapag-Lloyd, noted that moving to digital documentation reduces delays and costs associated with paper processing. He explained that the shift advances how the company manages the shipment lifecycle while reducing the environmental footprint by eliminating courier-related emissions.
“This collaboration strengthens the integrity of our shipment documentation and advances how Hapag-Lloyd manages the shipment lifecycle in a more digital, resilient and trusted way,” he said.
Liji Nowal, Chief Executive Officer of ODeX, added that the collaboration brings eBL capabilities directly into the existing user experience, allowing for secure issuance and surrender in a single location.
