{"dataset":"jurisdictions","source":"https://www.ebl.com","license":"CC-BY-4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (credit ebl.com and link to the relevant page)","last_updated":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00","count":15,"data":[{"id":"06e9930d-ba99-4f0d-a6ed-83835096c9f1","slug":"abu-dhabi-global-market","name":"Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM)","iso_code":"AE","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Electronic Transactions Regulations 2021","mletr_basis":"yes","enacted_on":"2021-02-25","in_force_on":"2021-02-28","scope":"Part 5 (sections 16 to 23) applies to any transferable document or instrument required or permitted by an ADGM enactment, defined generically as a document entitling the holder to claim performance and to transfer that right by transferring the document; bills of lading are not named but fall within the generic definition. The Part 7 exclusions (powers of attorney, wills, long-term immovable-property dealings, notarised documents) are stated to apply to Parts 1 to 4 only.","summary":"Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), a financial free zone in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, recognises electronic transferable records through Part 5 of its Electronic Transactions Regulations 2021. Section 16 gives an electronic transferable record the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as its paper form; a reliable method must identify the record, make it subject to control and preserve its integrity, and exclusive control takes the place of possession. The ADGM Board enacted the Regulations on 25 February 2021 and they came into force on publication on 28 February 2021. UNCITRAL lists ADGM, under the United Arab Emirates, as having adopted legislation based on the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records in 2021.","open_questions":"The Regulations apply only within ADGM and only where an ADGM enactment requires or permits a transferable document or instrument; bills of lading are not named and rely on the generic definition. They do not address documents governed by UAE federal law outside ADGM.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"4d7649ea-1ea2-4798-98d1-2c79347f230f","slug":"bahrain","name":"Bahrain","iso_code":"BH","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Decree-Law No. (55) of 2018 with respect to Electronic Transferable Records","mletr_basis":"yes","enacted_on":"2018-11-28","in_force_on":null,"scope":"Applies to electronic transferable records whether or not an operator is used. Covered documents are bills of lading, letters of credit and warehouse receipts, plus other documents of title specified by regulation of the Minister for Transportation after consulting the Governor of the Central Bank; covered instruments are cheques, bills of exchange and promissory notes, plus others specified by regulation of the Governor.","summary":"Bahrain gives legal effect to electronic transferable records, including electronic bills of lading, under Decree-Law No. (55) of 2018 with respect to Electronic Transferable Records. The decree-law was issued on 28 November 2018 and published in Official Gazette issue 3395 on 29 November 2018. Under Article 19 it took effect on the first day of the month following 60 days after that publication. UNCITRAL lists Bahrain (2018) as having adopted legislation based on the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records.","open_questions":"No official Bahraini source found states the exact commencement date; Article 19 fixes it by formula rather than by date. The law lets the Minister for Transportation and the Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain add further documents and instruments by regulation; whether any have been issued is not confirmed here.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"a3ef2c1f-160f-4e2e-b8cd-e756256a1122","slug":"belize","name":"Belize","iso_code":"BZ","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Electronic Transactions Act, 2021 (Act No. 25 of 2021)","mletr_basis":"yes","enacted_on":"2021-10-05","in_force_on":"2021-10-05","scope":"Part VII (sections 30 to 40) applies to any transferable document or instrument, defined generically as a paper document entitling the holder to claim performance of an obligation and to transfer that right by transferring the document; bills of lading are not named but fall within the definition. Securities such as shares and bonds and other investment instruments are excluded, and other rules of law governing transferable documents, including consumer protection, continue to apply.","summary":"Belize recognises electronic transferable records through Part VII of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2021 (Act No. 25 of 2021), which repealed the earlier Electronic Transactions Act (Cap. 229:03). A legal requirement for a transferable document or instrument is met by an electronic record where a reliable method identifies the record, makes it subject to control and preserves its integrity, and possession is met by exclusive control. The Act contains no commencement provision, so under section 41 of the Interpretation Act it took effect on the Governor-General's assent on 5 October 2021; it was gazetted on 9 October 2021. UNCITRAL lists Belize as having adopted legislation based on the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records in 2021.","open_questions":"Section 53 allows the Minister to exclude specific written laws from the Act by Order, and section 54 allows implementing Regulations; no Order or Regulations affecting Part VII were identified. No amendment to the Act after 2021 was identified as of 16 October 2026.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"281e1755-db98-4bf0-a67e-daa7e648a71c","slug":"china","name":"China","iso_code":"CN","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Maritime Code of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国海商法), as revised on 28 October 2025 (Presidential Order No. 58)","mletr_basis":"partial","enacted_on":"2025-10-28","in_force_on":"2026-05-01","scope":"Chapter IV, Section 5 (Articles 82–86) of the revised Code covers electronic transport records issued under contracts for the carriage of goods by sea, both transferable and non-transferable, and so covers electronic bills of lading and sea waybills; it does not cover bills of exchange, promissory notes or warehouse receipts. Separate Provisions on Promoting and Regulating the Application of Electronic Documents (CAC Order No. 22, in force 1 September 2026) apply more widely, including to electronic warehouse receipts and cargo insurance policies.","summary":"Under the revised Maritime Code, adopted on 28 October 2025 and in force from 1 May 2026, China gives electronic transport records that meet the statutory conditions the same legal effect as paper transport documents. Articles 82–86 let carrier and shipper agree to use electronic records; a transferable record must use a reliable method or system that keeps it unique and gives the holder exclusive control. UNCITRAL lists China as a 2025 enactment influenced by the MLETR and applying only to bills of lading. Provisions on electronic documents issued on 17 April 2026 by the Cyberspace Administration of China and nine other departments, in force from 1 September 2026, set requirements for reliable electronic document systems.","open_questions":"Article 85 of the revised Code leaves the standards for transfer, exclusive control, form conversion and reliable systems for transferable electronic transport records to be set separately by the national cyberspace authority together with the State Council transport department. CAC Order No. 22 (in force 1 September 2026) cites the Maritime Code as one of its legal bases and sets functions for systems serving transferable electronic documents, but it does not say that it is the Article 85 standard. Whether further standards will be issued is not yet clear.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"6ae87f6f-4f6c-4506-9d56-eb9d05af58ce","slug":"france","name":"France","iso_code":"FR","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Loi n° 2024-537 du 13 juin 2024 visant à accroître le financement des entreprises et l'attractivité de la France (Titre II, articles 14 à 17)","mletr_basis":"yes","enacted_on":"2024-06-13","in_force_on":"2025-03-14","scope":"Title II defines the 'titre transférable' and lets it be issued electronically. It covers bills of exchange and promissory notes, warehouse receipts and warrants, maritime bills of lading to order or bearer, negotiable inland-waterway bills of lading under the CMNI, insurance policies to order or bearer (including cargo and transport policies), assignable professional-receivables slips to order, and any other writing to order or bearer that meets the definition. Seven categories are excluded, including financial instruments, cheques and bons de caisse, and Title II does not apply to titles issued before it came into force.","summary":"France gives electronic transferable records the same effects as paper under Title II (articles 14 to 17) of Law No. 2024-537 of 13 June 2024, which created the 'titre transférable électronique'. An electronic title has the same effects as its paper equivalent where a reliable method ensures uniqueness, exclusive control, identification of signatories and holders, and integrity; the law also amends article L. 5422-3 of the Code des transports so that a maritime bill of lading may be issued, signed, transferred, amended, kept and delivered electronically. Title II took effect on 14 March 2025, and Decree No. 2025-811 of 12 August 2025, in force from 15 August 2025, sets the conditions for the reliable method, including independent certification. UNCITRAL lists France (2024) as having adopted legislation based on the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records.","open_questions":"Title II took effect on 14 March 2025, but the decree defining the reliable method took effect only on 15 August 2025, so it is unclear how the equivalence applied in between. Under the decree a method must be certified by an independent evaluation body; no public list of certified methods has been identified.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"875dc80e-4a1a-4f96-b16d-bf23a1f832bb","slug":"germany","name":"Germany","iso_code":"DE","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Handelsgesetzbuch (HGB), § 516 Abs. 2 (elektronisches Konnossement), inserted by the Gesetz zur Reform des Seehandelsrechts vom 20. April 2013 (BGBl. I S. 831)","mletr_basis":"no","enacted_on":"2013-04-20","in_force_on":"2013-04-25","scope":"The German Commercial Code treats an electronic record that performs the same functions as the paper document, with authenticity and integrity safeguarded, as equivalent to a bill of lading (§ 516(2) HGB), a land-transport Ladeschein (§ 443(3)) and a warehouse receipt, Lagerschein (§ 475c(4)); the same 2013 Act also allowed an electronic consignment note, Frachtbrief (§ 408(3)), which is not a document of title. Bills of exchange and other negotiable instruments are not covered by these provisions.","summary":"Germany recognises electronic bills of lading under § 516(2) of the Handelsgesetzbuch (HGB), which treats an electronic record performing the same functions as a paper bill of lading as equivalent to it, provided its authenticity and integrity are safeguarded. The provision was inserted by the Gesetz zur Reform des Seehandelsrechts of 20 April 2013, in force from 25 April 2013; the government's explanatory memorandum says it followed the Rotterdam Rules, and it predates the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (2017). The Federal Ministry of Justice may set detailed rules on issue, presentation, return and transfer by regulation (§ 516(3)), but no such regulation appears in the federal law database. Germany is not listed on the UNCITRAL Model Law status page.","open_questions":"No regulation under § 516(3) HGB had been issued as of 16 October 2026, so the law does not specify how control and transfer of an electronic bill of lading are to be evidenced. No government bill or ministry draft implementing the Model Law or a broader electronic trade documents regime had been found as of the same date.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"d585ebc5-78b6-413b-b424-a386aceabc8c","slug":"india","name":"India","iso_code":"IN","legal_status":"consultation","instrument_name":"The Digital Trade Facilitation Bill, 2026 (draft)","mletr_basis":"unknown","enacted_on":null,"in_force_on":null,"scope":"The draft bill would apply to electronic trade documents listed in its First Schedule, which is blank in the consultation draft, so it is not yet confirmed that bills of lading are covered; it would also amend the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881 to cover promissory notes, bills of exchange and cheques in electronic form and omit the negotiable-instrument exclusion (Sl. No. 1) from the First Schedule to the Information Technology Act 2000. The Bills of Lading Act 2025 in force does not mention electronic bills of lading.","summary":"India has no statute in force that gives electronic bills of lading the same legal effect as paper; the Directorate General of Foreign Trade published a draft Digital Trade Facilitation Bill, 2026 for public comment on 9 February 2026. The draft would recognise electronic trade documents, treat control by a reliable method as possession, and allow change of medium between paper and electronic form, in terms close to the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records, though it does not name the Model Law. The Bills of Lading Act 2025 (Act No. 18 of 2025), in force since 10 September 2025, replaced the Indian Bills of Lading Act 1856 but contains no provision on electronic form. India is not listed on the UNCITRAL Model Law status page.","open_questions":"No Cabinet approval or introduction in Parliament of the draft Digital Trade Facilitation Bill, 2026 had been found by 16 October 2026, after a 30-day consultation that opened on 9 February 2026. The draft's First Schedule, which will list the documents covered, is blank, so it is not yet clear whether bills of lading will be included. No primary source found settles whether the Information Technology Act 2000 alone allows an electronic bill of lading to operate as a document of title.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"36a9a523-d6e7-4ea9-8ba5-8c80d1f472c7","slug":"japan","name":"Japan","iso_code":"JP","legal_status":"consultation","instrument_name":"商法（船荷証券等関係）等の改正に関する要綱 (Outline for Amendment of the Commercial Code (Bills of Lading, etc.) and Related Laws), adopted by the Legislative Council of the Ministry of Justice","mletr_basis":"partial","enacted_on":null,"in_force_on":null,"scope":"The outline would create electronic bill of lading records (電子船荷証券記録) with the same effect as paper bills, using 'control' (支配) and 'provision' (提供) of the record in place of possession and delivery, together with electronic endorsement and conversion between paper and electronic form. Part 2 applies the same approach to multimodal transport documents and warehouse receipts; technical requirements for the systems used are left to a Ministry of Justice ordinance.","summary":"Japan has no statute in force giving electronic bills of lading the same effect as paper; reform is at the outline stage. On 9 September 2024 the Legislative Council of the Ministry of Justice adopted an outline for amending the Commercial Code to create electronic bill of lading records, prepared with reference to the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records. The Ministry of Justice's tax-reform request for fiscal year 2027 still describes the Commercial Code amendment as planned. As at 16 October 2026, no such bill appears among the cabinet bills of the 221st Diet session (18 February to 25 July 2026) or the 222nd session that opened on 5 October 2026.","open_questions":"No Commercial Code amendment bill had been submitted to the Diet as at 16 October 2026; the status will change if one is introduced. The Legislative Council resolved on 9 September 2024 to report the outline to the Minister of Justice immediately, but the exact date of the report is not published. The technical requirements for qualifying systems are left to a future Ministry of Justice ordinance.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"93c69ee1-cc41-4719-b99c-7039eb527cb4","slug":"morocco","name":"Morocco","iso_code":"MA","legal_status":"none","instrument_name":"Loi n° 43-20 relative aux services de confiance pour les transactions électroniques (promulgated by Dahir n° 1-20-100 of 31 December 2020)","mletr_basis":"no","enacted_on":"2020-12-31","in_force_on":null,"scope":"Law 43-20 is a general trust-services law. It covers electronic signatures, seals, time-stamps, registered electronic delivery and certificates, and it amends the Code of Obligations and Contracts. It has no provisions on electronic transferable records, exclusive control or the transfer of documents of title such as bills of lading.","summary":"Morocco has no specific law giving electronic bills of lading or other electronic transferable records the same effect as paper. Its general framework is Law 43-20 on trust services for electronic transactions, promulgated on 31 December 2020. Law 43-20 replaced parts of Law 53-05 of 2007 on the electronic exchange of legal data and regulates electronic signatures and related trust services, but not transferability. Morocco is not listed on UNCITRAL's MLETR status page.","open_questions":"Law 43-20 enters into force on publication of its implementing texts in the Bulletin officiel (Art. 84); Decree No. 2-22-687 of 16 November 2022 was published in the Bulletin officiel of 19 January 2023, but the exact in-force date has not been confirmed. No bill or official reform project on electronic transferable records has been identified. It has not been confirmed whether the maritime commerce code of 1919 or the Code of Obligations and Contracts contains any rule affecting electronic bills of lading.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"c0c5e685-d128-4a59-ae94-8494d8a88694","slug":"netherlands","name":"Netherlands","iso_code":"NL","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Wet van 1 april 2026 tot wijziging van Boek 8 van het Burgerlijk Wetboek in verband met de invoering van het elektronisch cognossement (Wet invoering elektronisch cognossement), Stb. 2026, 86","mletr_basis":"partial","enacted_on":"2026-04-01","in_force_on":"2026-07-01","scope":"Covers electronic bills of lading (elektronisch cognossement) for the carriage of goods by sea only, via new articles 8:400–8:402 of the Civil Code and a conflict-of-laws amendment to article 10:162; the Act applies to bills of lading issued after it entered into force (Article IV). Electronic combined transport (CT) documents, consignment notes, bills of exchange and cheques are not covered; the government deferred CT documents pending international rules and provided for a report on the Act's effects within three years.","summary":"The Netherlands gives electronic bills of lading the same legal effect as paper ones under the Act of 1 April 2026 amending Book 8 of the Civil Code (Wet invoering elektronisch cognossement), published in Staatsblad 2026, 86 on 22 April 2026. A Royal Decree of 8 June 2026 brought the Act into force on 1 July 2026. The Act is limited to sea bills of lading; the explanatory memorandum says it follows the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records as closely as possible, but the Netherlands is not listed on UNCITRAL's MLETR status page.","open_questions":"The Netherlands does not appear on UNCITRAL's MLETR status page; the 'partial' classification rests on the explanatory memorandum, which says the Act follows the Model Law as far as possible and is limited to sea bills of lading. Electronic combined transport documents may be addressed after the three-year evaluation under Article III.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"bb828f3e-95ad-46fa-a622-163d1c254ffc","slug":"paraguay","name":"Paraguay","iso_code":"PY","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Ley N° 6822 de los servicios de confianza para las transacciones electrónicas, del documento electrónico y los documentos transmisibles electrónicos","mletr_basis":"yes","enacted_on":"2021-12-30","in_force_on":"2022-05-01","scope":"Title IV (arts. 78–95) applies to electronic transferable documents generally: any electronic equivalent of a paper transferable document or title that entitles the holder to claim performance of the obligation it states, which in principle includes bills of lading, bills of exchange and promissory notes (none is listed by name). Article 80 excludes publicly offered securities and other investment instruments.","summary":"Paraguay gives electronic transferable documents the same legal effect as paper under Ley N° 6822, promulgated on 30 December 2021 and in force from 1 May 2022; the law covers transferable documents generally and does not name bills of lading. Title IV follows the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records: an electronic document satisfies a paper requirement where a reliable method ensures its identification, control and integrity, and control takes the place of possession and its transfer. Paraguay is listed on the UNCITRAL MLETR status page with the year 2021. Unlike the Model Law, signatures on electronic transferable documents must be qualified electronic signatures, and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is the enforcement authority.","open_questions":"Articles 87 and 95 require the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to issue rules on reliability and on the supervision and accreditation body for electronic transferable documents; it is not clear whether such rules have been issued beyond Decreto N° 7576/2022. Article 104 sets entry into force four months after promulgation, and the Poder Judicial gives that date as 1 May 2022.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"3274aff5-e361-40b1-884a-5dad1d097e4b","slug":"singapore","name":"Singapore","iso_code":"SG","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Electronic Transactions Act 2010 (as amended by the Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Act 2021)","mletr_basis":"yes","enacted_on":"2021-02-25","in_force_on":"2021-03-19","scope":"Part 2A of the Electronic Transactions Act 2010 (sections 16A to 16S) covers electronic transferable records equivalent to a 'transferable document or instrument', defined as a paper document or instrument entitling the holder to claim performance and to transfer that right by transferring it, expressly including bills of exchange, promissory notes and bills of lading (including those under foreign law). Matters listed in the Act's First Schedule remain excluded under section 4; the 2021 amending Act removed one item from that list.","summary":"Singapore gives electronic transferable records, including electronic bills of lading, legal effect through Part 2A of the Electronic Transactions Act 2010, inserted by the Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Act 2021. The amendments adopt the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records with modifications. Parliament passed the amending Act on 1 February 2021, the President assented on 25 February 2021 and it came into force on 19 March 2021. UNCITRAL lists Singapore (2021) as having adopted legislation based on the Model Law.","open_questions":"Division 6 of Part 2A allows regulations on the accreditation of providers of electronic transferable records management systems; whether any have been made is not confirmed here. Some matters remain on the Act's First Schedule exclusion list.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"7c144750-da54-46c1-8249-7b26d8625305","slug":"spain","name":"Spain","iso_code":"ES","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Ley 14/2014, de 24 de julio, de Navegación Marítima","mletr_basis":"no","enacted_on":"2014-07-24","in_force_on":"2014-09-25","scope":"Articles 262–266 (Subsection 2, 'Del conocimiento de embarque en soporte electrónico') cover the bill of lading: it may be issued electronically if shipper and carrier agree in writing before loading, and it may be switched between paper and electronic form by written agreement between the lawful holder and the carrier. Article 267 applies the Act's bill of lading rules to multimodal transport documents issued by a carrier; the rules do not reach other transferable documents such as bills of exchange or warehouse receipts.","summary":"Spain's Maritime Navigation Act (Ley 14/2014 de Navegación Marítima), in force since 25 September 2014, expressly allows electronic bills of lading. Under Articles 262–266, a bill may be issued electronically if shipper and carrier agree in writing before loading, and their contract must set out the issue and transfer system, security and how the holder is identified. Article 264 gives an electronic bill the same regime and effects as a paper one. The regime predates the UNCITRAL MLETR and relies on contract rather than a statutory reliable-system test; Spain is not listed on UNCITRAL's MLETR status page.","open_questions":"No Spanish bill, draft or official consultation to implement the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records has been identified, and the official BOE record shows no amendment to Articles 262–266 since the Act was passed in 2014. The Act does not settle how the contractual regime applies to later holders who were not parties to the agreement between shipper and carrier.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"d3c965de-b1a1-4624-a6bf-aa2dae7b58f5","slug":"united-kingdom","name":"United Kingdom","iso_code":"GB","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023","mletr_basis":"partial","enacted_on":"2023-07-20","in_force_on":"2023-09-20","scope":"Covers any electronic equivalent of a paper trade document whose possession is required to claim performance, with listed examples including bills of lading, bills of exchange, promissory notes, ship's delivery orders, warehouse receipts, mate's receipts, marine insurance policies and cargo insurance certificates. The electronic document must be held in a reliable system that ensures exclusive control and transfer; the Act does not apply to documents issued before it came into force.","summary":"In the United Kingdom, the Electronic Trade Documents Act 2023 gives electronic trade documents, including electronic bills of lading, the same effect as their paper equivalents, provided a reliable system ensures that only one person can control the document at a time. The Act received Royal Assent on 20 July 2023 and came into force on 20 September 2023. It extends to England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. UNCITRAL lists the United Kingdom (2023) as having legislation influenced by the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records and the principles on which it is based, rather than enacting it directly.","open_questions":"The Act does not apply to electronic trade documents issued before 20 September 2023. Whether a document that qualifies under the Act is recognised in another country depends on the governing law and the law of that country, not on the Act alone.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"},{"id":"abb04e5b-d8bb-4192-a2fa-79cf4ecfea67","slug":"united-states","name":"United States","iso_code":"US","legal_status":"in_force","instrument_name":"Uniform Commercial Code Article 7 (Documents of Title), 2003 revision, as enacted by the states","mletr_basis":"no","enacted_on":null,"in_force_on":null,"scope":"Revised UCC Article 7, enacted state by state, covers documents of title, including bills of lading and warehouse receipts, in paper or electronic form; section 7-106 sets the test for 'control' of an electronic document of title, which takes the place of possession of a paper document. The federal bills of lading statute (49 U.S.C. chapter 801, sections 80101 et seq.) defines a holder by possession and does not mention electronic records or control.","summary":"In the United States, electronic bills of lading derive legal effect from state law: the 2003 revision of Uniform Commercial Code Article 7, enacted state by state, recognises electronic documents of title and uses 'control' of the electronic record in place of possession of paper. State codes such as those of Nebraska, Ohio and Vermont set out the control test in section 7-106. There is no statute based on the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records, and the federal bills of lading statute (49 U.S.C. chapter 801) defines a holder by possession and does not address electronic records.","open_questions":"Revised Article 7 was adopted state by state, so there is no single enactment or in-force date, and a state-by-state list of adoptions has not yet been compiled from primary sources. Several states have since amended section 7-106 (Nebraska Laws 2024, LB94; Vermont Act No. 17 of 2025, effective 1 July 2025; Ohio House Bill 195, effective 6 October 2026), and the effect of these amendments has not yet been reviewed. How federal law on interstate and export bills of lading (49 U.S.C. chapter 801) and the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act apply to electronic bills of lading is not settled by the statutes reviewed.","last_verified_on":"2026-10-16","updated_at":"2026-10-16T19:46:38.605442+00:00"}]}