ABSTRACT
: The chapter addresses the issues concerning the electronic bill of lading with specific regard to the new technologies and tools that are being explored for this purpose, in particular blockchain technology and smart contracts.
The main problems analysed by this chapter are of two kinds. From the one side, the feasibility of blockchain technology and smart contracts for e-bills of lading (or e-transport records, as in the Rotterdam Rules). From the other side, the actual lack of a uniform – and, often, even domestic – specific regime. To this purpose, the chapter further investigates whether it is possible to identify a suitable existing regime, or what could be feasible solutions for governing e-bills of lading and ensuring that they can lawfully perform the same role as traditional bills of lading.
