Introducing electronic bill of lading in foreign trade: empirical assessment of the practical need in Ethiopia

Paper bill of lading has passed through different stages of development depending on the function it performs. Form-wise, it has been used in the forms of paper bill of lading until recent time. However, the advent of technology and the inherent problems associated with being used in the forms of paper results in the introduction of the dematerialised bill of lading in the international commercial transaction. This article aimed to investigate the need for introducing an electronic bill of lading in Ethiopia. To address the issue, the paper employed socio-legal research methodology to look into whether there are factors that necessitate the introduction of electronic bill of lading in Ethiopia or not, and showed that there are actual demanding factors for introducing it in the Ethiopia foreign trade regime.