Global trade operates around the clock, yet many of the processes supporting this complex system still rely on traditional methods. When goods move from one country to another, the process can involve carriers, shippers, freight forwarders, banks, insurers, customs authorities, and regulators. At the same time, data related to bills of lading, transportation, financing, and insurance is often scattered across different systems.
Recently, TechNode had the opportunity to speak with IQAX CEO George Guo to discuss how digital technologies are reshaping global trade and supply chains, as well as the challenges that remain in building a more connected digital trade ecosystem.
Focused on digital trade and supply chain technology, IQAX is using electronic Bills of Lading (eBLs), artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), digital twins, and blockchain to connect fragmented trade data and processes.
For IQAX, the goal is not simply to turn paper documents into digital ones, but to build digital trade infrastructure that connects cargo, documents, financing, and operational data.
Starting with electronic Bills of Lading
IQAX recently surpassed one million electronic Bills of Lading (eBLs), according to the company. The Bill of Lading is one of the most important documents in international shipping, but transferring a paper document can take days or even weeks. As global supply chains continue to accelerate, this traditional process is increasingly becoming a bottleneck.
George Guo said the value of eBLs goes beyond simply replacing paper documents. Once trade documents move into a trusted digital environment, they can be connected with previously fragmented processes such as trade finance, insurance, customs, compliance, and document exchange.
IQAX’s eBL solution is built on the GSBN blockchain infrastructure and supports industry standards including DCSA, BIMCO, and ISO. The company sees standards and interoperability as critical to the development of digital trade, as global trade involves a large number of participants using different systems. Rather than requiring every company to use a single platform, a more practical approach is to enable different systems to exchange data securely.
Moving supply chains from visibility to prediction with AI
Electronic documents are only one part of IQAX’s digital trade strategy. As supply chains generate increasingly large amounts of data, the challenge for businesses is shifting from simply asking “Where is the cargo?” to understanding what the data means and what should happen next.
IQAX is applying AI to areas including vessel arrival prediction, supply chain risk identification, and cold-chain monitoring. It is also exploring agentic AI, which can go beyond analyzing data to identify anomalies, predict risks, and recommend actions.
In cold-chain logistics, IQAX combines IoT with AI to continuously monitor container temperatures and equipment conditions, helping identify potential problems at an early stage. Its AI-powered IoT platform currently covers more than 200 regions and 11,000 city pairs, with around 92,000 connected devices, Guo said.
IQAX aims to use these capabilities to move supply chain management beyond traditional visibility toward what it calls digital trade intelligence.
Connecting the physical and digital worlds with digital twins
IQAX is also combining digital twins with AI, IoT, and blockchain. Its digital twin system currently includes vessel twins, schedule twins, container twins, weather twins, and terminal twins. These models can help businesses understand changes in the physical world and simulate their potential impact.
In the transportation of temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals, IoT devices can continuously monitor cargo conditions, while AI can identify abnormal patterns and issue alerts. A digital twin can then model how a disruption could affect delivery. At the same time, an eBL supported by blockchain infrastructure can connect cargo documentation with financing, insurance, certification, and compliance processes.
Under this model, IoT collects data from the physical world, digital twins create dynamic models, AI analyzes the data and provides decision support, while blockchain helps establish secure and verifiable digital records.
Moving from reacting to problems to acting ahead of them
In recent years, global supply chains have faced growing disruption from geopolitical tensions, extreme weather, port congestion, labor shortages, and changing trade policies. Traditional supply chain management often means responding after a problem occurs. IQAX wants to use AI to identify risks earlier.
When a system detects that a vessel may be delayed, AI can do more than report the delay. It can analyze which shipments, customers, or commercial commitments could be affected, and help businesses adjust their transportation and operational plans in advance.
IQAX cited one example involving a shipment of Peruvian grapes transported from Callao Port to major ports in China’s Yangtze River Delta in July 2025. By combining predictive trade intelligence, end-to-end visibility, and logistics planning, the shipment completed its journey in 23 days, 10 days faster than traditional routes, while transportation costs were reduced by 20%.
In its cold-chain business, the company also says its AI capabilities can reduce manual inspection workloads related to Pre-Trip Inspection (PTI) by up to 70%.
From eBL to a digital trade platform
IQAX’s expansion is not limited to China. The company sees opportunities in markets including India and Latin America, as well as in less-than-container-load (LCL) shipping, according to George Guo. IQAX says the volume of eBL transactions destined for Brazil increased fourfold in 2025 compared with the previous year.
LCL shipping involves more stakeholders, more frequent document exchanges, and more complex handoffs, making it a particularly relevant area for digitalization.
However, IQAX’s long-term goal is not simply to expand the use of electronic Bills of Lading. The company wants to connect eBLs with trade finance, insurance, cargo visibility, compliance, and AI-driven cross-validation. This approach would turn eBLs from digital documents into a foundation for digital trade infrastructure.
This is also why IQAX places such a strong focus on interoperability. Global trade is unlikely to be unified under a single platform. A more practical direction is to enable different platforms, businesses, and regulatory systems to exchange data securely and efficiently.
For a Chinese tech company, IQAX is therefore exploring a challenge that goes beyond shipping digitalization: how AI and digital infrastructure can connect cargo, documents, data, and decision-making across global trade.
As global trade continues to become more digital and intelligent, IQAX hopes to use electronic Bills of Lading as a starting point to expand its role from a shipping technology provider into a broader provider of digital trade infrastructure.
