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Bill of Lading Data
A bill of lading dataset contains records of shipments, specifying the shipper, receiver, goods description, quantity, vessel name, and ports of origin and destination. This data is typically gathered from government’s customs departments.
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Bill of Lading data provides a retrospective record of global trade by capturing detailed shipment-level information. Each record reflects a completed export or import, offering visibility into the parties involved, the goods moved, and the routes taken. It is commonly used to analyse trade patterns, assess supply chains, and monitor market activity.
Coverage
Coverage depends on the reporting practices of customs authorities in each jurisdiction.
Some countries provide full and timely disclosure, others restrict access or offer incomplete records.
Coverage is typically strongest in the United States, parts of Latin America, and selected Asian markets.
Limited or no coverage exists in jurisdictions such as China, much of Europe, and the Middle East, however ‘mirror trades’ can be identified by examining the BoLs from more open jurisdictions where the cargo originated, or arrived later.
Sources
National customs departments and other trade documentation authorities.
Commercial aggregators who standardise and redistribute BoL data from official sources, including the creation of mirror trades.
Methodology
Collection from customs filings and port authorities, in most cases electronically, but in some cases copying the physical documentation where required.
Extraction of key fields including:
Shipper and consignee details
Goods description and HS codes
Voyage information (vessel name, ports of loading and discharge)
Shipment dates and container numbers
Estimated value and volume of cargo
Standardisation and entity matching across geographies and reporting styles.
Linkage to trade lanes, commodity categories, and carrier performance for downstream analytics.
Why This Data?
Detailed Trade Insights: Enables users to track specific cargoes, monitor trade flows, and map supply chains.
Market Intelligence: Supports competitive analysis by revealing trade routes, trading partners, and shipment volumes.
Regulatory and Compliance Use Cases: Offers visibility into counterparties for sanctions screening and due diligence.
Historical Validation: Serves as a ground-truth source for confirming previously estimated or modelled flows.