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Glossary

Bill of Lading (BOL)

Bill of Lading (BOL)

What is BOL?

Bill
of lading
, or BOL, is a required legally binding document issued by a carrier or their agent in
the shipping process. Bill of lading acts as a conclusive receipt for the goods, evidence of the agreed
terms, and also the goods’ title of document. With policy of insurance and an invoice together have been
the three key documents used to ensure that exporters receive payment and importers receive the
merchandise in international trade.

More about BOL

Bill of Lading can be categorized into Master Bill of Lading and House Bill of Lading issued by
different parties. The previous, MBoL, is issued by the carrier or steamship line to an NVOCC agent or a freight forwarder when the cargo is customs cleared and
loaded on the ship at the port of departure. And the latter, HBoL, is issued by an NVOCC agent or
freight forwarder to the exporter or shipper to ensure the shipments and the paperwork are all done.
Learn more about what is Bill of Lading.