The FIATA FBL – Negotiable Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading (1992) is a document designed to facilitate the international trade of goods, as well as to enhance the legal certainty of commercial transactions. It should be regarded as an essential document in international trade.

It is also approved by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) as a document complying with the UNCTAD/ICC Rules for Multimodal Transport Documents (ICC Publication No. 481) and the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits (UCP 600).

It is now possible for freight forwarders to issue the eFBL directly from their offices, provided that they meet the access requirements and obtain the open-source software enabling them to access and issue the document. This is carried out through strong authentication via a dedicated API, with immediate identity verification by FIATA, which registers the document and assigns it a unique QR code.

One of the main advantages of this new version of the document is that freight forwarders may issue and share the eFBL in either digital or paper format with the various parties involved in the transport operation. The digital format enables real-time access to the document, regardless of the geographical location of the goods or the time at which they are in transit.

Given the way it has been implemented, it enhances the security of international commercial transactions and promotes greater transparency for the parties involved and the information exchanged, while ensuring the identity of the parties, which is essential to international trade. It also helps prevent fraud in international trade, thereby protecting both sellers and buyers of goods.