The modern history of trade relations between the United States and the People’s Republic of China is closely tied to Cosco’s introduction to the country in 1979, when the M.V. “Liu Lin Hai” set sail from Shanghai to Seattle. In 1982, Cosco registered its first company in the U.S. with only two employees and started its first monthly liner services to the West Coast. East Coast service followed later that same year. As trade relations flourished among China and the American countries, Cosco’s business development in this region accelerated. Today, China Ocean Shipping Co. Americas (Cosco Americas), located in New Jersey, is the regional management center governing Cosco businesses in North, Central and South America.
Cosco’s current Americas business scope includes 30 companies with more than 900 employees, that provide services in areas including shipping agency, cargo agency, bulk shipping, inland transportation, terminal operation, vessel technical support, bunker supplies and real estate management. Cosco now has offices in eight countries -- the United States, Canada, Brazil, Panama, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Peru. In the U.S., Cosco has offices in 10 cities, directly employing nearly 600 workers and making it an active and responsible entity in the U.S. business community.
Liner Businesses Strives for Innovation, Automation with a Personal Touch
Broad Network and Global Service Coverage
As China has become the world’s second-largest economy and a cornerstone for U.S. exporters, Cosco has experienced tremendous growth. The company now has 22 weekly liner services calling the U.S., connecting Far East, European and Mediterranean ports. Cosco Container Lines and its partners make direct port calls to 14 U.S. and Canadian ports: Long Beach, Los Angeles and Oakland, in California; Seattle, Portland and Tacoma, Wash.; Canada’s Vancouver and Prince Rupert; Wilmington, De.; Savannah, Ga.; Charleston, S.C.; Norfolk, Va.; New York-New Jersey and Boston. In the U.S., we have offices in the following 10 cities: San Francisco; Seattle; Henderson, Nev.; Los Angeles; Boston; Charleston; Norfolk; Secaucus, NJ; Chicago; and Houston. In the coming months, Cosco Container Lines will also launch South American liner services. The company’s liner shipping sector has well-established offices in Panama, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Peru. Our global workforce collaborates closely, merging ideas and cultures to build a streamlined, efficient and multicultural organization. We have built our company with one important goal in mind: satisfying our customers.
Customer-Oriented Global Information System and Personal Connections
In an age where information travels at lightning speed,. no customer service operation can be successful without a sophisticated computer system providing customers with track-and-trace, online booking and bill of lading auto-rating capabilities. Cosco implemented a cutting-edge global computer system in 2001, IRIS 2; it is now used by Cosco offices globally. IRIS 2 allows a quick, centralized flow of information. It enables Cosco offices worldwide to communicate quickly and provide up-to-date information to our customers. Running a successful customer service operation depends on integrating this technology into a business model that doesn’t lose sight of the backbone of service -- personal contact. Our customer can pick up a phone or log onto a computer or smart phone and obtain critical information about their cargo. Among other features, this includes the ability to track a Cosco vessel’s course and transfer important shipping documents and information electronically. What separates the carriers’ great customer service from merely status-quo service, is the power of a representative to step in when the electronic information doesn’t answer the shippers’ questions. Cosco trains our representatives about the overall ocean transportation business as well as the inner operations of the company. No one individual can know everything, but our proactive training aims to enable our staff to answer as many questions as possible before asking for help from another department. When they do need assistance, they are trained to know who to ask to obtain the quickest and most accurate answer.
We strive to offer our customers quick, efficient, accurate and personal service. Our successful, 50-year track record has proven we can and we show no signs of slowing down. The deep value we place on customers’ business shows through in an authentic way; we don’t need to spend extra energy convincing our customers that they are important to us.
A Responsible Member of the Shipping Community
Cosco has always had a strong commitment to service within the shipping industry and is recognized for its partnership in the worldwide fight against terrorism. It was the first foreign carrier to comply with the U.S. Container Security Act and continues its cooperation with all efforts to thwart illegal and dangerous cargos entering U.S. ports.
Cosco’s business in the U.S. has been recognized with a number of environmental achievement awards. It received the Port of Long Beach’s Green Port Award for the past five consecutive years and the Port of Seattle’s Green Flag award for participation in its Green Gateway program. In New Jersey, we were recognized for four consecutive years with the Gold Award for our provision of employee options promoting the state’s environmentally-friendly initiatives.
Its Other Shipping and Logistics Services in the Americas Complement and Support Cosco Group’s Overall business Development
In addition to container transportation, Cosco Americas has many subsidiary businesses and each one, in their unique way, strives to make customer satisfaction the No. 1 priority.
Logistics Services: Cosco Logistics (Americas) is a leading global supply chain service company dedicated to providing a wide range of transportation and distribution services. With operation centers strategically located throughout North America, CLA is able to rapidly respond to a full scope of logistics needs. By implementing total logistics management, CLA relieves the burden of dealing with multiple sources to obtain a full range of supply chain services. CLA offers an integrated network, designed to streamline your supply chain and reduce cycle times from order placement to delivery. Headquartered in Secaucus, NJ, CLA is led by a highly-skilled management team with a history of experience in all aspects of supply chain management. Each member has led large organizations in Europe, Asia and North America. We strive to ensure our customers are getting the most complete, cost-effective and world-class service needed in today’s competitive global business environment.
Bulk Shipping Services: Cosco Bulk Carrier Americas, also located in Secaucus, specializes in international bulk cargo transportation, vessel operation and bulk vessel chartering. This business sector serves the dry bulk shipping market with the excellent experience and fleet of Cosbulk, one of the largest dry bulk shipping companies in the world. Its primary target markets include Canada, the United States, Mexico, Columbia, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru and Chile. Services are concentrated on local grain, coal and iron ore exports, steel and cement imports and trans-Atlantic cargoes.
Oil Tanker Shipping: World Ocean (America) is a Secaucus-based oil tanker chartering and operating company, participating in the growing demands for oil sea transportation in the American market. World Ocean has been continuously developing international customers and strengthening strategic cooperation with renowned owners and charterers. World Ocean has grown into a specialized tanker chartering-operation company with a very good reputation in the American tanker market
Ship Agency Businesses: Sea Mark Management provides on-site vessel operation assistance and cargo agency services to Cosco and non-Cosco breakbulk fleets calling at U.S. ports. Sea Mark has used its expertise providing higher-quality and efficient agent service to ship’s owner-operators to reduce vessel cycle time and port expenses in the U.S. Sea Mark operates according to the motto: “The satisfaction of our customers is the most important standard by which to judge our service.” Sea Mark is headquartered in New Jersey and has offices in key port areas.
Fleet Bunkering Services: Chimbusco Americas is primarily engaged in bunker trading, bunker broker and petroleum cargo trading. Its target customers are not only the Cosco fleet calling ports in Americas, but, upon request, will accept non-Cosco-customer inquiries and arrange bunker for their vessels. As authorized by Chimbusco, the company also handles the China ports bunker inquiries that come from the American customers. The company strives to cooperate with local suppliers for mutually beneficial results, while exceeding customer expectations.
Ship Supply and Technical Support: Yuan Hua Technical and Supply Corp. is in charge of the technical and fleet supply aspects for all Cosco vessels operating in North America. The company representative provides excellent services to the Cosco fleet by working with local agencies and vendors in major U.S. port areas.
As we celebrate Cosco’s 50th Anniversary, we want to express our heart-felt appreciation for the support, businesses and trust given to us from our employees, customers, vendors, business partners and friends in the Americas from all areas. Cosco has grown its business from small to large, expanded its market from domestic to international and enhanced its financial strength from weak to strong. Now, Cosco is not only the second-largest shipping company based on fleet size, but it is also a responsible global citizen with a people-oriented business culture. Overall, Cosco has achieved great successes and laid a solid foundation for future growth.
Capt. Wei has set forth the vision statement for Cosco: Based on building a world-class, multi-national and leading shipping enterprise, focus on century sustainability, abide by innovation and development, form a strong and world-class brand image beyond shipping and logistics services, in order to make Cosco a first-class, global enterprise, built to face and adapt to the challenges of the entire century -- a “Century Enterprise.” As we make greater movements forward, we are confident that we can achieve even better results following Cosco Group’s business strategy in the Americas region. We can “overcome difficulties along the way, moving upward and riding the trend.”
Working together, we will achieve even greater success in the years to come
