Digital transformation in global maritime logistics: integration of APIS as a strategic infrastructure in B2B supply chains

Abstract

Digital transformation has promoted structural changes in global supply chains, particularly within maritime logistics, which accounts for the majority of international trade flows. This study aimed to analyze digital transformation in global maritime logistics by interpreting Application Programming Interface integration as a strategic interoperability infrastructure within B2B logistics networks. The research consists of a narrative literature review with a qualitative and analytical-descriptive approach, based on studies published in internationally indexed scientific journals. The findings indicate that maritime digitalization goes beyond operational automation, representing a broader process of institutional and competitive reconfiguration of global logistics networks. API-based integration emerges as a key mechanism enabling interoperability among heterogeneous systems, improving logistics visibility, reducing transactional frictions, and strengthening interorganizational coordination. The consolidation of digital platforms was also found to reshape competitive dynamics and governance structures across international supply chains. It is concluded that APIs function as a fundamental sociotechnical infrastructure of maritime digital transformation, playing a structural role in the evolution of global B2B supply chains and data-driven logistics ecosystems.