The manual BL process on Evergreen
An Evergreen BL cycle runs through ShipmentLink proofreading as the primary draft-review workflow, with Bolero as the primary eBL rail for i-B/L issuance.
- 01
SI submission creates draft BL
Once the SI is accepted (see SI sub-page), Evergreen generates a draft BL accessible via ShipmentLink proofreading. Draft BL turnaround SLA after SI acceptance is not published.
- 02
Review the draft BL in ShipmentLink proofreading
Inspect party data (shipper, consignee, notify party, forwarder), cargo data (description, gross weight, packages, marks and numbers), container and seal numbers, vessel/voyage, port pair, freight terms (prepaid/collect), and BL type (OBL, SWB, Telex). Validate for HS code alignment with the SI, EORI completeness on EU lanes, and AMS specificity on US lanes. How the ShipmentLink proofreading interface exposes amendments, inline markup versus PDF download and email back-and-forth, is not confirmed in public sources.
Pain pointEvergreen does not publish a draft BL turnaround SLA. Whether same-day review is expected versus 24–48 hour windows at some country offices is a reviewer judgement call.
- 03
Submit amendments (pre-release, pre-cut-off)
Flag corrections in ShipmentLink. Pre-cut-off, pre-release amendments are typically free at most country offices. Post-cut-off and post-release amendments trigger country-specific fees that sit behind ShipmentLink login; no consolidated global tariff is published.
Pain pointAmendment fees are not visible until the forwarder logs into the country-specific ShipmentLink tariff section. The default behaviour is 'fee behind login, reviewer to confirm' until the actual figure is known.
- 04
Choose BL type
Original BL (OBL) for traditional letter-of-credit workflows. Seaway Bill (SWB) for shipments where title does not need to transfer on presentation. Telex release (also called express release at some country offices) authorises release against a telex message rather than presenting the original paper BL at destination. Switch BL is used where a substitute BL is issued at a different port from the original. SWB, telex, and Switch BL fees are country-specific and sit behind ShipmentLink login.
- 05
Decide on i-B/L (Evergreen's branded eBL)
i-B/L is Evergreen's electronic BL product, distributed via ShipmentLink and GreenX with Bolero as the primary rail. Evergreen was the first container carrier to integrate with Bolero on 1 March 2018. Evergreen signed the DCSA 2030 eBL commitment in February 2023 (50% by 2028, 100% by 2030). Evergreen is NOT a GSBN shareholder — do not route Evergreen eBLs via GSBN. The India Bills of Lading Act 2025 (presidential assent 24 July 2025; enforcement pending Central Government notification) recognises Bolero as an approved platform.
Pain pointi-B/L adoption rate among forwarder counterparties is not confirmed in public sources. Bolero workflow friction (additional counterparty onboarding, platform-to-platform interoperability) is not published by Evergreen.
- 06
Release the BL
For OBL, Evergreen releases original paper BLs at the origin country office upon freight settlement and compliance clearance. For SWB, release is electronic. For Telex, release is authorised via the telex message. For i-B/L, release occurs via the Bolero rail to the nominated consignee's Bolero account. Release timing after freight settlement and compliance clearance is country-office-specific.
- 07
Track amendments and handle Switch BL where required
Switch BL is required when the shipper wants a substitute BL issued at a port other than the original (common for NVOCC resellers protecting commercial confidentiality). Switch BL fees are country-specific; Dubai and Singapore are confirmed active Switch BL geographies on industry averages, with Evergreen-specific published figures requiring portal login. Process time for Switch BL outside confirmed geographies is not confirmed in public sources.
Where Evergreen BL errors happen
Common BL rejection and rework triggers on Evergreen, based on documented error patterns and adapted to Evergreen-specific operational characteristics.
Draft BL arrives incomplete or incorrect
CommonParty data mismatch, HS code misalignment with the SI, missing EORI on EU lanes, or incorrect freight terms on the draft BL. Remediation: validate the draft BL against the SI and booking confirmation before marking reviewed; flag field-level discrepancies back through ShipmentLink proofreading.
Amendment fee surprise by country
CommonForwarder submits a post-cut-off amendment expecting a standard rate and gets billed a country-specific fee visible only after login. Remediation: pull the country-specific amendment fee from ShipmentLink before submission; default to flagging 'fee behind login, reviewer to confirm' rather than guessing.
Telex release authorised before freight settlement
OccasionalCommon at country offices with less-rigid settlement enforcement. Forwarder risks release without final freight collection confirmation. Remediation: gate telex release on freight-settlement confirmation from the accounting team; do not authorise on shipper request alone.
Switch BL requested after OBL already released at origin
OccasionalOnce originals are released, Switch BL is effectively a reissue with cancellation of the original. Remediation: detect Switch BL intent at booking or SI stage where possible; block OBL release until the Switch BL workflow is confirmed with the shipper.
i-B/L routed to wrong eBL rail
OccasionalForwarder assumes Evergreen uses GSBN (because COSCO and OOCL do) and attempts to route via the wrong platform. Evergreen uses Bolero as primary rail; the authoritative gsbn.trade roster excludes Evergreen. Remediation: default all Evergreen eBL flows to Bolero unless a forwarder-counterparty-specific interoperability path is confirmed.
IMT-routed BL carries unexpected party identifiers
OccasionalMediterranean cargo routed through IMT may surface Italia Marittima party blocks on the BL rather than EGLV end-to-end. Remediation: confirm IMT routing at booking and carry IMT identifiers through to the consignee; do not correct IMT identifiers to EGLV without confirmation.
Non-Evergreen container prefix on BL
OccasionalBL carries a GESU prefix (GESeaCo lease stock) or GSLU prefix (Gold Star Line / ZIM subsidiary). Remediation: cross-check against confirmed Evergreen-family prefixes (EMCU, EGHU, EGSU, EITU, HMCU, UGMU, LTIU, IMTU); flag non-family prefixes to the local Evergreen office for clarification.
How Expedion agents handle Evergreen BLs
Expedion agents run Evergreen BL workflows from draft proofreading through final release, with amendment routing, telex gating, Switch BL detection, Bolero-rail eBL defaulting, and Evergreen-family prefix mapping handled automatically.
Pull the draft BL from ShipmentLink proofreading, cross-check against the SI and booking confirmation, and surface field-level discrepancies (party data, HS codes, gross weight, container and seal, freight terms) to the reviewer.
Route amendments through ShipmentLink. Prioritise pre-cut-off pre-release free amendments. For post-cut-off amendments, surface country-specific fees where published; flag 'fee behind ShipmentLink login, reviewer to confirm' where the published figure is unavailable.
Recommend BL type (OBL versus SWB versus Telex versus Switch BL) based on booking freight terms, consignee relationship, and letter-of-credit status. Surface fee implications where country-specific figures are available.
Gate telex release authorisation on freight-settlement confirmation and compliance clearance. Do not authorise on shipper request alone.
Detect Switch BL intent at booking or SI stage where possible. Block OBL release until the Switch BL workflow is confirmed. Flag Dubai and Singapore as confirmed active Switch BL geographies with industry-average fees; flag other geographies as 'fees behind login'.
Default Evergreen eBLs to Bolero as the primary rail. Do not route via GSBN: Evergreen is not a GSBN shareholder. Flag forwarder-counterparty interoperability paths to WAVE BL, IQAX, or essDOCS via DCSA eBL API v3.0 for confirmation; these paths are not confirmed in public sources.
When Mediterranean cargo routes through IMT, carry Italia Marittima party identifiers and LTIU/IMTU container prefixes through to the BL. Post-consolidation SCAC behaviour is not confirmed in public sources; the reviewer confirms it.
Auto-map EMCU, EGHU, EGSU, EITU, HMCU, UGMU, LTIU, and IMTU container references to EGLV for BL filing purposes. Flag GESU (GESeaCo lease) and GSLU (Gold Star Line / ZIM) as non-Evergreen for manual review.
Agent capability availability
*The behaviours above describe the Expedion agent spec for Evergreen. Confirm with your Expedion contact which capabilities are live in production today versus on the near-term build roadmap before relying on any specific item.*
Evergreen BL fees and eBL platform details
Key reference data for ops teams managing Evergreen bills of lading. Fee figures are country-specific and sit behind ShipmentLink login; entries marked as gaps require operator confirmation.
| Item | Value | Notes / Source |
|---|---|---|
| Draft BL review channel | ShipmentLink proofreading | shipmentlink.com — primary channel. Draft BL turnaround SLA not published. |
| Amendment fees (USA / Germany / France / Italy-IMT / Spain / India / China / Taiwan / Singapore) | Country-specific, behind login | No consolidated global tariff published. Priority gaps: USA, India, Germany. |
| Telex release fees | Country-specific, behind login | Active origin gaps: USA, India, Germany, China. |
| Switch BL fees (Dubai / Singapore) | Industry averages apply | Evergreen-specific figures require ShipmentLink login. Process time outside confirmed geographies is not confirmed in public sources. |
| SWB issuance | At booking (SI-flagged) vs OBL conversion | Whether SWB issues automatically when flagged at SI stage or only on OBL conversion is not confirmed in public sources. |
| i-B/L product | Intelligent Bill of Lading via ShipmentLink and GreenX | Evergreen's branded electronic BL product. |
| Primary eBL rail | Bolero | First container carrier to integrate with Bolero on 1 March 2018. |
| DCSA 2030 eBL commitment | Signed February 2023 | Targets: 50% adoption by 2028, 100% by 2030. |
| DCSA BL 3.0 | Beta listed on ShipmentLink API Developer Portal | shipmentlink.com/_ec/APIPORTAL_Home. Production adoption status is not confirmed in public sources. |
| GSBN membership | NOT a shareholder | Authoritative gsbn.trade roster excludes Evergreen. Members: COSCO Shipping Lines, COSCO Shipping Ports, Hapag-Lloyd, Hutchison Ports, OOCL, SPG Qingdao, PSA, SIPG. |
| India Bills of Lading Act 2025 | Bolero recognised as approved platform | Presidential assent 24 July 2025; enforcement pending Central Government notification. |
| eBL interoperability (WAVE BL / IQAX / essDOCS via DCSA eBL API v3.0) | Not confirmed | Whether Evergreen i-B/L interoperates via the DCSA eBL API v3.0 standard is not confirmed in public sources. |
| BL prefix | EGLV | Single SCAC and BL prefix across the Evergreen Line brand. |
| Container prefixes (Evergreen-family) | EMCU, EGHU, EGSU, EITU, HMCU, UGMU, LTIU, IMTU | All route under EGLV for BL filing. GESU is GESeaCo (not Evergreen); GSLU is Gold Star Line / ZIM (not Evergreen). |
TMS compatibility for Evergreen BL
Expedion agents manage Evergreen BLs from within your existing TMS. CargoWise users exchange data via the eAdaptor API (XML/SOAP) and route through EDI via INTTRA or the ShipmentLink Developer Portal's DCSA BL 3.0 Beta API where built. Magaya Connect API handles forwarder-side data exchange. GoFreight operates browser-based against ShipmentLink. Logi-Sys routes through EDI via INTTRA. Forwarders without a TMS use ShipmentLink's web portal directly.
Full TMS compatibility details are on the Evergreen overview.
Related pages
Evergreen carrier pages: Overview · Booking · Shipping instructions · Documentation · Tracking & visibility
BL across carriers: Maersk BL · MSC BL · CMA CGM BL · Hapag-Lloyd BL · ONE BL · COSCO BL
Solutions: BL management
Glossary: Bill of Lading · Telex Release · Switch BL · eBL
Frequently asked questions
What are Evergreen's BL amendment fees, and why are they not published in a central tariff?
Amendment fees are country-specific and sit behind ShipmentLink login or require country-office contact. Evergreen does not publish a consolidated global amendment tariff equivalent to COSCO's USD 100 (USA / Far East / China / Australia) / USD 140 (Europe / ENS) / INR 5,000 (India) schedule. USA, Germany, France, Italy (IMT), Spain, India, China, Taiwan, and Singapore each carry their own amendment fee structure. Pre-cut-off, pre-release amendments are typically free; post-cut-off and post-release amendments trigger the country-specific fee. The exact figures by country are not confirmed in public sources. Expedion agents flag amendment fees as 'country fee unconfirmed' and route to reviewer approval rather than guessing.
Does Evergreen issue electronic BLs, and on which platform?
Yes. Evergreen's branded eBL product is i-B/L (Intelligent Bill of Lading), distributed via ShipmentLink and GreenX. The primary eBL rail is Bolero. Evergreen was the first container carrier to integrate with Bolero on 1 March 2018 and signed the DCSA 2030 eBL commitment in February 2023, targeting 50% adoption by 2028 and 100% by 2030. The India Bills of Lading Act 2025 (presidential assent 24 July 2025; enforcement pending Central Government notification) recognises Bolero as an approved platform. DCSA BL 3.0 Beta is listed on the ShipmentLink API Developer Portal at shipmentlink.com/_ec/APIPORTAL_Home.
Is Evergreen a GSBN shareholder like COSCO and OOCL?
No. Per the authoritative gsbn.trade shareholder roster, Evergreen is not a GSBN shareholder. GSBN's listed shareholders are COSCO Shipping Lines, COSCO Shipping Ports, Hapag-Lloyd, Hutchison Ports, OOCL, SPG Qingdao, PSA, and SIPG. Some third-party commentary incorrectly groups all Ocean Alliance carriers with GSBN; the authoritative source excludes Evergreen. Evergreen's eBL flows route via Bolero, not GSBN. Forwarders handling a mixed Ocean Alliance fleet should expect OOCL and COSCO eBLs on GSBN and Evergreen i-B/Ls on Bolero.
What's the difference between Evergreen's i-B/L and a standard Bolero eBL?
i-B/L is Evergreen's branded electronic BL product, with ShipmentLink and GreenX as the customer-facing interfaces. Bolero is the underlying eBL rail (the platform that handles negotiability and endorsement). Evergreen integrated with Bolero as the first container carrier on 1 March 2018, so an i-B/L issuance is technically a Bolero eBL with Evergreen branding and Evergreen-specific portal flows. For a forwarder, the practical effect is that the consignee needs Bolero access to receive an Evergreen i-B/L; counterparties already on Bolero work end-to-end without additional onboarding.
Can I request a Switch BL on a US-bound Evergreen shipment?
Switch BL availability and process for US-bound Evergreen shipments are not confirmed in public sources. Switch BL is supported as an industry-standard product on Evergreen, with Dubai and Singapore confirmed as active Switch BL geographies on industry averages. Switch BL fees and processing times outside those geographies are not confirmed in public sources; the reviewer confirms with the local Evergreen office. Evergreen does not publish a US-specific Switch BL restriction comparable to ONE's Hong Kong-derived guideline.
If my booking routes through Italia Marittima, will the BL carry IMT party identifiers or EGLV?
It depends on the service string and country office. Italia Marittima (IMT) is an active operating subsidiary under the Evergreen Line brand, 100% owned by EMC since 31 January 2024 (via Evergreen Marine Asia's EUR 405 million acquisition of the remaining minority stake). Mediterranean cargo routed through IMT may carry Italia Marittima party blocks on the BL, with LTIU or IMTU container prefixes (both confirmed active in the BIC registry under Italia Marittima S.p.A.). Whether the SCAC on AMS / ICS2 filings is LTIU or EGLV post-consolidation is not confirmed in public sources. Expedion agents carry IMT identifiers through to the consignee where the booking is confirmed IMT-routed and do not correct IMT identifiers to EGLV without confirmation.
Does Evergreen support DCSA BL v3.0 in production or only in Beta?
DCSA BL 3.0 is listed as Beta on the ShipmentLink API Developer Portal (shipmentlink.com/_ec/APIPORTAL_Home). Production adoption status (whether forwarders are using it in live workflows or it remains a developer-portal Beta) is not confirmed in public sources. The other DCSA APIs listed alongside it on the ShipmentLink portal include Track & Trace v2.2 (live), OVS 3.0, Booking 2.0 Beta, Shipping Instruction, Transport Document, Commercial Schedules 1.0, and JIT Port Call 1.2 Beta 1.