A bill of lading is issued as either a House Bill of Lading or a Master Bill of Lading.
A House Bill of lading or else HBL is issued by a freight forwarder or an NVOCC operator to their clients. Whereas, a Master Bill of Lading or MBL is issued by the carrier to the NVOCC operator or forwarder.
HBL vs. MBL:
| The shipper is usually the actual exporter of the cargo (or as dictated by the L/C) | The shipper is usually the freight forwarder or NVOC operator or their agent |
|---|---|
| The consignee is usually the actual importer of the cargo (or as dictated by the L/C) | The consignee is usually the office of the NVOCC operator or the freight forwarder or destination agent or counterpart |
| The notify could be the same as consignee (or any other party as dictated by the L/C) | The Notify could be the same as consignee or any other party |
