The Lok Sabha has passed the Bills of Lading Bill, 2025, marking a significant step in modernising maritime trade regulations. The Bill aims to streamline shipping documentation, enhance transparency, and improve efficiency in cargo transportation. It introduces digitisation measures, ensuring faster and more secure handling of shipping documents, aligning with global trade practices.
While preserving the fundamental provisions, the bill simplifies language, reorganises provisions, and removes colonial-era remnants from the 1856 Act. It also empowers the central government to issue directives for effective implementation and includes a standard repeal and saving clause to ensure legal continuity.