Summary
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From 1 September 2026, China's 'Rules on Promoting and Regulating Electronic Documents', issued by ten ministries, give electronic bills of lading, waybills and warehouse receipts the same legal effect as paper. Aligned with the revised Maritime Code (effective 1 May) and UNCITRAL's MLETR, the move targets the 'goods waiting for paperwork' bottleneck; McKinsey estimates full e-BL adoption could save about USD 6.5 billion a year globally.