For CBSA purposes, a consolidated shipment is defined as:

A number of separate shipments grouped together by a consolidator or freight forwarder and shipped to an agent or a freight forwarder as one shipment, under one bill of lading, and reported to Customs on one cargo control document.(one shipper and one consignee)

When transmitting cargo data for a consolidated shipment, a pre-arrival electronic cargo document (or preload in the marine mode, depending on the type and origin of the goods)and pre-arrival electronic house bill documents (or pre-load in the marine mode, depending on the type and origin of the goods) are required. (Supplementary data transmissions will continue to be required for consolidated Freight Remaining On Board (FROB) shipments in the air and marine modes).

Carriers will transmit the electronic cargo document providing the cargo details as they appear on their through bill of lading or ocean bill of lading. The data elements included in the cargo document include, but are not limited to:

• Shipper name and address (foreign freight forwarder or consolidator name and address)
• Consignee name and address (Canadian freight forwarder or consolidator name and address)
• General description of goods (i.e. freight of all kinds, consolidated freight, or description of goods as it appears on the bill of lading)
• Weight and pieces

In addition to the required data elements, when transmitting data on a consolidated shipment, carriers must select "Y" for the 'consolidated indicator' (on their cargo document) to identify to the CBSA that the shipment is consolidated and that house bill data are expected.

The freight forwarder or consolidator will transmit additional cargo details of consolidated shipments in the electronic house bill document (or supplementary transmission for FROB in the air and marine modes), to which the carrier typically would not have access. The data elements included in the house bill document include, but are not limited to:

• Shipper name and address
• Consignee name and address
• Detailed description of goods
• Weight and pieces

To transmit house bill data, the freight forwarder or consolidator must have a CBSA-assigned carrier code.

The implementation of eManifest does not change business-to-business relationships between trade partners. eManifest requires specific data from specific trade partners prior to the arrival of shipments in Canada so that the CBSA can obtain all the information necessary to perform an accurate risk assessment of goods destined to Canada. Importers, carriers and freight forwarders should use the guidelines above as well as CBSA-published documents (i.e. Departmental Memoranda and the Electronic Commerce Client Requirements Document) to determine which trade partner is responsible for transmitting the specific data elements required for a specific shipment.