From "Green Transition" to "Digital Empowerment": China's Logistics Sector Leads Transformation Breakthroughs Through International Standardization
Date: 11 4, 2026
Recently, China has been deeply engaged in standardization work in the logistics sector under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), actively advancing the initiation, development, and publication of international standards. Among these, the "Green Logistics Practice Cases" standard, developed with Chinese experts as project leaders, is the world's first international standard in the field of green logistics, while another China-led international standard—the "Electronic Bill of Lading Business Process and Data Exchange Based on Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) "—establishes unified digital rules for electronic bills of lading in global shipping and trade.
Logistics is the "nervous system" of the real economy, and reducing society-wide logistics costs is a key lever for enhancing economic efficiency. At present, green, low-carbon development and digital-intelligent transformation have become the two main thrusts of high-quality growth in the logistics industry. Digital technologies and intelligent logistics facilities and equipment—represented by drones, autonomous vehicles, and unmanned warehouses—are being applied ever more deeply, and smart logistics service models are emerging at an accelerating pace. Relying on international standards to unify technical language, remove barriers to cross-border circulation, and jointly build an open and win-win global industrial ecosystem has become an inevitable trend for the sector's quality and efficiency improvement.
The "Use cases for green logistics activities" standard focuses on logistics scenarios—transport, storage, loading and unloading, handling, packaging, distribution processing, delivery, and information processing. Across five dimensions—resource-intensive utilization, low-carbon emissions, resource recycling, environmental protection, and occupational health—it brings together 83 practical cases from 28 enterprises in 15 countries. Among them, 26 cases from China share and contribute advanced experience to the world. Examples include the use of rack-type containers to transport coiled steel products, which reduces logistics costs by more than 83 million RMB per million tonnes of cargo; the promotion of distributed rooftop photovoltaic power generation in warehouses, where solar power can cover more than 60% of a facility's average annual electricity consumption; and the installation of tail-lifts on trucks to enable automatic lifting, which improves handling efficiency by over 60% and significantly reduces accident risks for workers. This standard is the first to systematically map the global green logistics technology landscape, analyzing the green objectives, sustainability factors, and key technical and management points of each case, and offering standardization recommendations. It provides practical reference for organizations worldwide to understand, implement, and promote green logistics activities, injecting strong momentum into the low-carbon, green transformation of the logistics industry and contributing China's approach to global sustainable development.
The "Business processes and data interchange of electronic bill of lading based on distributed ledger technology (DLT)", aims to establish unified operating specifications for electronic bills of lading in global shipping and trade. Leveraging the tamper-resistant, traceable, and transparent information-sharing properties of blockchain technology, the standard defines globally common business processes, data formats, and interaction rules for DLT-based electronic bills of lading—in effect providing a mutually recognized digital"common language"for shipping, trade, and finance stakeholders across countries. For a long time, paper bills of lading have been slow to circulate, prone to loss, and difficult to verify—bottlenecks for cross-border trade efficiency. Through a trusted platform, the standard enables the secure digital transfer of title documents, fundamentally safeguarding the security and credibility of electronic bills of lading. It provides critical support for the digital transformation of the shipping industry and enhances China's voice in the formulation of international trade rules.
Going forward, the State Administration for Market Regulation and other relevant departments will focus on high-priority areas such as multimodal transport, smart logistics, and green transportation, and will continue to translate domestically advanced technological achievements into international standards. By empowering high-quality industrial development with high-level international standards, they will help China's logistics sector participate in global cooperation and competition on a broader scale and in wider fields.