Orient Overseas Container Line

Orient Overseas (International) Limited, an investment holding company, provides container transport and logistics services in Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, and internationally. The company offers supply-chain management and distribution services; and containerised shipping services in various trade lanes comprising Trans-Pacific, Trans-Atlantic, Asia/Europe, Asia/Australia, and Intra-Asia trades. It is also involved in equipment owning and leasing, container depot and warehousing, portfolio investment, terminal operating, ship owning, cargo consolidation and forwarding, liner and freight agency, property owning, and ship management businesses; providing corporate and trucking services; and operating vessels. In addition, the company offers AI and blockchain digital data on network applications, and platform design services, as well as technology and consulting services. The company is based in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. Orient Overseas (International) Limited is a subsidiary of Faulkner Global Holdings Limited.

OOCL was founded by C. Y. Tung in 1947 as the Orient Overseas Line. In 1969, OOL was the first Asian -based shipping line to transport containerized cargo across the Pacific. Consequently, the company was renamed Orient Overseas Container Line. In those days its Victory-class vessels could carry 300 TEU, a far cry from today's post-Panamax vessels. In April 2003, OOCL took delivery of the SX-Class OOCL Shenzhen, then the largest containership ever built at 8,063 TEU. In 2006, it lost its title to the Emma Mærsk. At its peak, OOCL had a fleet of over 150 freight ships, with a cargo capacity exceeding 10 million tons; it was one of the world's top seven shipping lines. At one stage it owned the Seawise Giant, the largest ship ever built, having bought it from the shipyard when the previous owners refused delivery.

After C. Y. Tung's death in 1982, C. H. Tung, assumed the leadership of Orient Overseas Limited , OOCL's parent company for 14 years.

The company declared bankruptcy in the mid-1980s and the mainland-based Bank of China provided $50 million of the $120 million put together by Henry Fok Another big contributor to the OOCL bailout was China Merchants, a Hong Kong arm of China's transport ministry.

In 1996, C. C. Tung took over at the helm on his brother C. H. Tung's election as Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

OOCL briefly operated passenger ships acquiring the Ruahine, Rangitoto and Rangitane from the New Zealand Shipping Company that were renamed Oriental Rio, Oriental Carnival and Oriental Esmeralda to operate round the world services. The service ceased in 1976.In September 1970, Tung purchased the ocean liner RMS Queen Elizabeth to convert it into a floating university, to be known as Seawise University, as part of the World Campus Afloat programme. On 9 January 1972, the ship caught fire during refurbishing and sank in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour and the wreckage had to be scrapped three years later.

In 2003, OOCL lost one of its senior executives, Courtenay Allan, the company's Transatlantic Trade Director. Allan died after falling down a lift shaft on the OOCL Montreal in Le Havre.In recent years, OOCL has taken over a number of well-known shipping lines. These include Furness Withy, Houlder Brothers, Manchester Liners, Shaw Savill, PSNC, Prince Line & the Alexander Shipping Company.In 2015, OOCL ordered six of the largest container ships, holding up to 20,150 TEU each. The first of these, the OOCL Hong Kong, was christened on 12 May 2017. The ship became the world's first container ship to exceed 21,000 TEU mark and achieved a Guinness World Record.In July 2017, the parent company, OOIL, received a US$6.3 billion take over bid from its Chinese rival, COSCO Shipping. The bid has been accepted subject to shareholder and regulatory approval. The takeover was completed in 2018.In 2018, COSCO SHIPPING Holdings acquired Hong Kong-based OOIL, the parent of OOCL, for US$6.3 billion

On July 25, 2019, OOCL Hong Kong, the lead ship of the six G-class units and once the world’s largest container ship, visited Hong Kong to mark the 50th anniversary of Orient Overseas Container Line .

To be the best and most innovative international container transport and logistics service provider; providing a Vital Link to world trade and creating value for our customers, employees, shareholders and partners.

Our vision is to become the global leader in integrated transport and logistics services, and to set new standards in customer service excellence.