Shipping & Logistics
What is House Bill of Lading (HBL)?
A bill of lading issued by a freight forwarder to the actual shipper.
A house bill of lading (HBL) is issued by a freight forwarder or NVOCC to the shipper, while the underlying ocean carrier issues a master bill of lading (MBL) to the forwarder. The HBL reflects the forwarder's contract with its customer; the MBL reflects the carrier's contract with the forwarder. The distinction matters for cargo release and documentary control.
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