CURRENT STATE OF LEGAL REGULATION OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT CIRCULATION IN THE FIELD OF INTERNATIONAL TRANSPORTATION

Abstract

Purpose jf the study International freight transport faces a growing gap between the potential of digitalization and the actual pace of adopting electronic document exchange (EDI). Legal uncertainty, fragmented regulations, and organizational inertia prevent electronic waybills and bills of lading from replacing paper-based workflows. This study aims to identify and categorize the main legal gaps and organizational barriers that hinder EDI in cross-border transport, and to propose a methodological toolkit for assessing their impact on logistics performance. The research combines formal legal analysis of international conventions (CMR with e-CMR Protocol, Rotterdam Rules, Kyoto-ML Convention) and Russian national legislation, together with a systematic review of industry reports, court practices, and Ministry of Transport statistics. Organizational barriers were classified using qualitative categorization. A multi‑block assessment framework was developed by adapting econometric tools (regression analysis, Delphi method, paired comparisons) to the logistics context. No single international regime uniformly recognizes electronic transport documents. Russian transport codes (road, rail, maritime) contain only fragmented references to EDI, while general laws on electronic signatures do not resolve specific issues like negotiability of electronic bills of lading. Three clusters of organizational barriers were identified: (1) technological fragmentation – incompatible EDI platforms, lack of seamless roaming, high integration costs; (2) workforce deficits – resistance to change, shortage of hybrid skills (logistics + IT); (3) immature business processes – non‑standardized internal workflows, inconsistent procedures across partners. A methodological basis is proposed, including quantitative digitalization indicators, weight coefficients for each barrier type, and a multifactor regression model to measure the contribution of legal, technological, human and process factors to the slowdown of EDI adoption. Legal ambiguity and organizational barriers are interrelated and reinforce each other. The proposed framework allows companies and regulators to diagnose which factors most severely delay digital transformation. Empirical calibration of the model on real market data remains the next research step.