VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND LAW FACULTY OF ECONOMIC LAW GRADUATION THESIS REGULATIONS OF ELECTRONIC BILL OF LADING IN VIETNAM - INADEQUACIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIETNAM INSTRUCTOR: LLM. BUI NGUYEN TRA MY STUDENT: NGUYEN HOAI LINH ID STUDENT: K195022046 HO CHI MINH CITY, APRIL 2023 i VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HO CHI MINH CITY UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMICS AND LAW FACULTY OF ECONOMIC LAW GRADUATION THESIS REGULATIONS OF ELECTRONIC BILL OF LADING IN VIETNAM - INADEQUACIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIETNAM INSTRUCTOR: LLM. BUI NGUYEN TRA MY STUDENT: NGUYEN HOAI LINH ID STUDENT: K195022046 HO CHI MINH CITY, APRIL 2023 i DECLARATION I, Nguyen Hoai Linh, ID student: K195022046, herewith declare that the Graduation Thesis (Thesis) namely “Regulations of Electronic bill of lading in Vietnam – Inadequacies and Recommendations for Vietnam” is my personal research under the instruction and support from LL.M Bui Nguyen Tra My. During the research process, I used the data, cases as well as judgment and opinions of experts in different sources.
All of them is listed and cited, complying with the regulations on citation and annotation of references. The contents of this research are truthful and if there are any instances of fraud disclosed in this Thesis, I would like to take full responsibility before the Council as well as the conclusion results of my Thesis. This Thesis is the result of the guidance, assistance, and support I have received from a variety of sources; without these, I would not have been able to complete it. So, first and foremost, I want to extend my profound gratitude to LL.M Bui Nguyen Tra My, who guided me and provided me with helpful advice so that I could finish this Thesis.
Additionally, I want to thank to all teachers of the Faculty of Economic Law for their kind support throughout my four years of education. Finally, I would like to thank the Board of Directors of the University of Economics and Law and the teachers in the Council for creating conditions for me to defend this Thesis. Moreover, the flaws and limits in my thesis are unavoidable because knowledge has no bounds and the human ability to acquire information is finite. Therefore, I personally hope and consider it an honor to receive feedback and recommendations from teachers so that I can further my research.
Once again, I pledge the truthfulness of this undertaking. Ho Chi Minh City, 10 April 2023 Author Nguyen Hoai Linh ii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviations Stand for B/L Bill of Lading BOLERO Bills of Lading Electronic Registry Organization BBL Bolero Bill of Lading CMI Rules Comité Maritime International Rules for Electronic Bills of Lading 1990 COGSA 1992 Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1992 of United Kingdom EDI Electronic Data Interchange eIDAS EU Regulation No 910/2014 e-B/L Electronic bill of lading ETA Electronic Transactions Act 2010 (amended in 2020) ETR Electronic transferable record First DLET First Draft Law on Electronic Transaction (amended) Hague Rules International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law Relating to Bills of Lading 1924 Hague Visby Rules Hague Rules 1924, as amended by the “Protocol to amend the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law Relating to Bills of Lading” Hamburg Rules United Nations Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea 1978 IGP&I International Group of P&I Clubs Latest DLET Draft Law on Electronic Transactions dated 6 February 2023 which was adjusted after the conference of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly dated 20 February 2023 iii LET Law on Electronic Transaction 2005 LOI Letter of Indemity MLETR (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records 2107 VMC Vietnam Maritime Code 2015 UNCITRAL The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law UNCTAD The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development iv TABLE OF CONTENT DECLARATION .i LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. ii TABLE OF CONTENT. Reason for choosing the topic.
Aims, object and scope of the thesis. Scientific and applicable value. Structure of the project. 8 CHAPTER 1: GENERAL OVERVIEW OF ELECTRONIC BILL OF LADING.
The traditional bill of lading as a paper-based document .Definition of bill of lading. Functions of bill of lading. Overview of electronic bill of lading. The emergence of electronic bill of lading.
Introdution to electronic data interchange and existing electronic bill of lading systems using electronic data interchange. Introduction to blockchain technology and existing electronic bill of lading systems using blockchain technology. 28 CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 1. 34 v CHAPTER 2: THE PRACTICE OF REGULATIONS OF ELECTRONIC BILL OF LADING VIETNAM, LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR VIETNAM.
Definition of electronic bill of lading. The legality of electronic bill of lading. Requirement for writing. Requirement for signature.
Requirement for possession or transfer of possession. Requirement for integrity. Requirement for transferable documents or instruments. 50 CONCLUSION OF CHAPTER 2.
Reason for choosing the topic Free cross-border trade has become a major trend in the contemporary era thanks to the World Trade Organization, the largest international economic organization in the world with 164 members accounting for 98% of global trade.1 Therefore, in this global sector, international transportation is essential. Great economists from around the world are now highlighting and recognizing the importance of maritime shipping, a component of transportation.2 According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, maritime transport, which handled almost 80% of global trade by volume and more than 70% of global trade by value, is the foundation of both international trade and the global economy.3 In reality, 90% of commodities imported and exported in Vietnam are currently transported by sea, which is essential to the country’s transportation infrastructure and economy.4 With the expansion of global trade involving multiple parties, a large number of paper documents need to be produced and shipped internationally. However, due to the rapid and pervasive growth of technology, people prefer to complete tasks online to expedite transactions. As a consequence, electronic generation and transmission of transport documents, such as invoices, booking notes, and maritime waybills, have become commonplace.5 The bill of lading, which is considered the “soul” of 1 WTO IN BRIEF, World Trade Organization, https://www.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/inbrief_e/inbr_e.htm#how_the_wto_is_organized, accessed on 1 April 2023.
3 Review of Maritime Transport 2018, UNCTAD Prosperity for all, https://unctad.org/webflyer/review-maritime- transport-2018, accessed on 1 April 2023. 4 Strengthening Maritime Transportation, Vietnam Maritime Corporation, http://vinalines.vn/vi/tang-cuong- ket-noi-van-tai-bien/, accessed on 1 April 2023. 5 Richard, BK (1992), “The CMI charts a course on the sea of electronic data interchange: Rules for Electronic Bills of Lading”, Tulane Maritime Law Journal, (16), pp. 2 international trade, is one such document.
Among them, the electronic bill of lading has gained popularity in the logistics industry as it provides a more efficient and cost- effective way of managing the shipping process, similar to the aforementioned documents. Therefore, I made the decision to write about “Regulations of electronic bill of lading in Vietnam – Inadequacies and recommendations for Vietnam” after realizing that electronic bill of lading must be an indispensable trend that one day will undoubtedly replace old paper bill of lading.6 In this report, I will examine the background of electronic bill of lading generally in connection with paper bill of lading from a legal standpoint, highlighting both its benefits and drawbacks. In addition, I will examine the present electronic bill of lading regulations to see how electronic bill of lading is implemented and recognized legally in Vietnam. Finally, the basis of international regulations, foreign legislations and model law, the analysis of the general principles relating to electronic bill of lading recognition and the requirements of functional equivalent for electronic bill of lading will be potential consideration for Vietnam’s lessons and recomendations.
Oversea Electronic bill of lading in maritime transport in the digital age has gained a certain degree of attention abroad. This is not only the “initial step of the process of raising awareness about the existing trend” but also the foundation for creating recommendations and solutions to solve the inadequacies, as well as a precondition for 6 Demetriou, N (2015), Electronic bill of lading: Why it’s different this time, Baltic Exchange, https://thebalticbriefing.com/2015/03/04/electronic-bills-of-lading-why-its-different-this-time.html, accessed on 1 April 2023. 3 completing the establishment and application of future legal regulations of this issue. Some outstanding projects can be mentioned from the following perspectives: Some scientific theses can be mentioned as: “Switching paper to electronic bill of lading: Legal perspective and reform options for Vietnam” by Thi Mai Anh Doan in 2018.
The goal of this thesis, which examines the legal implications of electronic bill of lading, is to identify the challenges that must be overcome before Vietnam may implement such a system and advance the paperless era of maritime commerce in that nation. The second science research would be Ph. Dissertations conducted by author Ali Abbas Khayoon Al-Naseri of World Maritime University namely: “The legal recognition of electronic bill of lading” in 2020. This thesis is approached by two methods namely the international method which takes into account the most recent model laws, conventions, and contract formats and the English law approach which takes into account the most recent case law and statutes.
By discussing the legal recognition of electronic bill of lading under two methods, this study investigates whether electronic bill of lading can legally serve as functional equivalents to paper bill of lading. The third science research would be “The use of electronic bill of lading in shipping and the legal issues arising” by Triantafyllia Lazaretou in 2022. It was a Master Thesis done by Triantafyllia Lazaretou at the University of Piraeus. The study firstly focused on the challenges and problems associated with using traditional paper bill of lading, pointing out the need for electronic bill of lading and their benefits as well as the legal problems associated with their usage, particularly those related to signature and validity.
Secondly, investigating the Comité Maritime International Rules for Electronic Bills of Lading 1990, the Model Law on Electronic Commerce 1996, and the four officially recognized electronic bill of lading platforms such as Bolero, essDocs, E-titleTM, and EdoxOnline, which shows that the shipping sector has long been troubled by issues with negotiability and the transfer process. 4 Some scientific articles can be mentioned such as: “Challenges regarding the electronic bill of lading” by Vasileios Ziakas in 2018. The article begins by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of electronic bill of lading and considering legal recognition in international conventions. From that, the article draws out the feasibility as well as the risks when applying electronic bill of lading in practice.
Research “The state of the art of the electronic bill of lading” in 2022 by co-authors namely Francisco Petronilho, Hugo Fonseca, André Zúquete with the highlight is the analysis of the use of electronic bill of lading in existing platforms using the SWOT method, with specific strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Research: “Appraisal of the Ethiopia legal environment in light of its compatibility for the introduction of electronic bill of lading” of Israel Woldekidan HAILEYESUS in 2020. The purpose of this study is to determine whether Ethiopia’s current regulatory environment is suitable for the adoption of electronic bill of lading by taking into account the legal concerns that may arise during the adoption of electronic bill of lading and performing a preliminary evaluation of Ethiopia’s existing electronic bill of lading-related legal framework. In addition, some articles also mentioned electronic bill of lading and its legal framework such as: “An Ethereum bill of lading under the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Record” of Niels-Philip Abdellatif in 2020, research namely “Applicability of blockchain-based bill of lading under the Rotterdam Rules and Model Law on Electronic Transferable Record” of Jung-Ho Yang in 2019, the co-authors namely Stefan Wunderlich and David Saive who establish the research “The electronic bill of lading challenges of paperless trade” in 2020.
The research conducted overseas has a certain scientific worth and has developed a presumption in both theory and practice.