Global trade is the $30 trillion engine of the world’s economy, yet it’s been held back for centuries by a single document: the Bill of Lading. In this video, Fiona So from GSBN explores why digitizing trade has been so difficult and how a recent, ground-breaking pilot experiment in 2026 has finally solved the unintentional problems of “Walled Gardens” as the industry race to adopt electronic bills of lading (eBLs).
Fiona sat down with experts from IQAX, ICE CargoDocs, Lenzing, HSBC and International Chamber of Commerce to discuss the technological, legal and operational innovation behind this successful move of an electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) across platforms showcasing real-world shift toward a seamless, “no more paper” future as a result of eBL interoperability.
What you’ll learn:
The “Walled Garden” trap: Why digital platforms weren’t talking to each other.
The 3 Pillars of Interoperability: Technology, Legality, and Liability.
The Experiment Involving HSBC, IQAX, and ICE CargoDocs, CZBank and Dasheng Group.
0:00 The $30 Trillion Paper Problem
00:35 Why is the Bill of Lading so hard to digitize?
03:57 The “Walled Garden” Trap: Why digital trade hasn’t scaled
05:50 What is Interoperability?
08:03 The 2026 Pilot: A real-world interoperability success story
09:25 The 3 Pillars of Interoperability: Technology, Legality, and Liability
12:39 2026: The Year of Digital Trade
#GlobalTrade #Interoperability #eBL #eBLInteroperability #SupplyChain #DigitalTrade #eBL #GSBN #ShippingIndustry #Logistics2026 #Blockchain #HSBC #IQAX #ICECargoDocs #Lenzing #Dasheng
GSBN’s very own, Fiona So sat down with experts from IQAX, ICE CargoDocs, Lenzing, HSBC and International Chamber of Commerce to talk about their recent experiment in making supply chain communicate with each other through eBL Interoperability.