Answer: If the primary cargo does not have the true shipper and consignee and a complete description of the goods, the CBSA considers it a consolidated shipment, even if there is only one shipment within the consolidation.

In a multi-tiered consolidation (for example where one freight forwarder sells all or some of the space in a container to another freight forwarder) the master loader (for example the freight forwarder who has a contract of carriage with the primary carrier) will file a consolidated house bill indicating the co-loader (for instance the freight forwarder who has a contract of carriage with the master loader) as the shipper/consignee. The co-loader will transmit electronic house bills for all shipments within that consolidation. The individual house bills will show the primary carrier's CCN as the primary CCN and the house bill close message will show the CCN of the master loader's house bill as the previous CCN. This process will be used for any number of levels of consolidations until the true shipper and consignee and a complete description of the goods are provided to the CBSA.