A traditional bill of lading functions， among other things，as a quasi-negotiable instrument enabling the transfer of possessory rights in the goods. It was a result of development of the international trade and in return served as a powerful impetus to further progress. The electronic bills of lading，as a new form of bill of lading， aim to replicate the traditional essential business functions via fast， ef icient electronic messaging mode but have posed many issues. Under these circumstances，the author analyzed the typical attempts so far， discussed the maj or obstacles and put forwarded a number of proposals. The author believed that the paper presented simultaneously a summary and a new beginning.