[COLUMN] Current Status of consideration of electronic B/L legislation－in light of the interim Draft－ 21 April 2023 Tweet Kazuya Yamashita Partner, Higashimachi LPC Attorney-at-law (Japan), Solicitor (England and Wales)     The use of electronic bills of lading (e-B/Ls) in trade practice has increased in recent years, with the service provider’s terms and conditions agreed between the parties concerned. However, I believe that this type of e-B/L, i.e., an agreement-based e-B/L has not yet reached a major share in trade practice compared to paper B/Ls, due to the lack of sufficient legal backing and unclear legal effect in relation to third parties who have not agreed to the terms and conditions. Under this background, there is a growing movement in other countries to legislate e-B/Ls into national legislation, and in Japan too, legislation for e-B/Ls is currently being discussed by the Legislative Council (in which I also participate as a relevant official). In this article, I will introduce the situation regarding such e-B/L legislation in Japan and other countries, in light of the interim draft of e-B/L legislation decided upon by Japan’s Legislative Council in March (the “Interim Draft”).     Overview of e-B/Ls   What is an e-B/L? An electronic bill of lading (e-B/L) is generally said to be one in which the contents of a conventional paper B/L are converted into digital information and the issuing, transferring, and collecting of B/L-related matters can be carried out electronically. In other words, it can be said that e-B/Ls do not attempt to create something new that is completely different from the current practice of paper B/Ls but to replicate the current practice with paper B/Ls as closely as possible in electronic form.   Advantages of electronic B/Ls The advantages of using an e-B/L which are often cited include: Increased speed and reduced administrative costs, Reduced risk of forgery and tampering, and The ease of collectio