Hapag-Lloyd announced that as of September 10, the shipping line has started offering its worldwide customers the use of electronic Bills of Lading.

In a statement, it said in cooperation with WAVE BL, a digital platform for supply chain partners, customers can go paperless not only with the Bill of Lading, but also with other vital trade documents — adding that by using the WAVE BL network, printing, signing, and releasing paper-based documents will come to an end.

The platform optimizes the flow of cargo in a blockchain-backed digital infrastructure, taking the place of manual workflows in exchange for a more secure, automated solution, where carriers can issue, possess, transmit and sign documents within minutes.

“We are reaching the next milestone in our journey of being a premier digital carrier by providing a much needed electronic Bill of Lading release solution to our customers,” said Juan Carlos Duk, managing director Global Commercial Development of Hapag-Lloyd.

“The new tool will enable the secure and speedy electronic release of these documents. By partnering with Wave BL, we continue to expand our offers of e-tools, committing to our promise of adding value to our customers, improve the customer experience and being number one for quality,” he added.

With the new solution Hapag-Lloyd said it gets one step further of going paperless with its customers. Physical documentation sharing on paper has high costs and exposes risk of forgery and loss in an industry that grosses over US$19 trillion in goods, annually.