Which statement best describes Master B/L and House B/L relationships?

• A. Master B/L is issued by the shipper to the carrier; House B/L is issued by the carrier to the shipper.
• B. Master B/L is issued by the carrier to the freight forwarder; House B/L is issued by the freight forwarder to the shipper, covering the same voyage.
• C. Master B/L and House B/L are issued by the same party.
• D. Master B/L is a copy of the House B/L.

Answer: (D)

In international shipping, the voyage is coordinated through two linked documents: a Master Bill of Lading and a House Bill of Lading. The Master B/L is issued by the carrier (or their agent) to the party controlling the voyage, typically the freight forwarder, and it covers the overall contract of carriage for the voyage. The House B/L is issued by the freight forwarder to the shipper for the specific shipment, and it mirrors the voyage covered by the Master B/L while detailing the individual shipment.

The statement that the Master B/L is a copy of the House B/L reflects the way these documents align: the House B/L is produced for the shipper and reflects the same voyage and cargo information as the Master B/L, effectively duplicating the essential terms so both documents stay in sync for liability, routing, and cargo details. The Master B/L acts as the master reference for the whole voyage, while each House B/L can be seen as a shipper-specific replica tied to that master, ensuring consistency across all parties for that shipment.