# Electronic Data Interchange Freight Services

*Last updated: 2026-06-23*

> A freight forwarder books an air cargo shipment: order data, customs information, and transport documents land automatically in the carrier's system—no rekeying, no fax.

A freight forwarder books an air cargo shipment: order data, customs information, and transport documents land automatically in the carrier's system—no rekeying, no fax. That is what Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Freight Services deliver: the standardized, machine-readable exchange of business documents between forwarders, shippers, logistics providers, and customs authorities using defined formats and protocols—most commonly UN/EDIFACT, ASC X12, or XML-based standards. Bills of lading, booking confirmations, and customs declarations are replaced by structured data records flowing directly from system to system. Ocean carriers and terminals use EDI for manifest submission and container tracking; air cargo agents rely on it for IATA-compliant cargo messaging. Unlike modern REST APIs, traditional EDI typically runs in batch mode and requires pre-agreed message standards between all parties.

**Source:** [https://www.gs1.org/standards/gs1-edi](https://www.gs1.org/standards/gs1-edi)

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Term | Electronic Data Interchange Freight Services |
| Language | EN |
| Word count | 122 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-23 |
| Source | https://www.gs1.org/standards/gs1-edi |

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*Logistics Glossary — Freight Academy: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/electronic-data-interchange-freight-services](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/glossary/electronic-data-interchange-freight-services)*

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