Swire Shipping is the brand name of the China Navigation Company Ltd. (CNCo). Liner services operated by CNCo carry the Swire brand, either as Swire Shipping or Swire Bulk.
Formed by John Samuel Swire in 1872 as a paddle steamer shipping service on the Yangtze River, the company is based in Singapore today. It also maintains support offices in Sydney, Hong Kong, Mumbai, London and Auckland. It employs over 2,500 seafaring and shore-based employees.
It trades in 69 countries, making over 2175 port calls per year. Its revenues are estimated at $2.3 billion annually.
CNCo serves over 130 ports worldwide. It considers the Asia-South Pacific region its core trading area. Its routes link locations in Asia, the Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand. Its global operations extend to North America, Europe, the Middle East and the Indian Sub Continent.
It manages a fleet of owned and chartered vessels that carry general and refrigerated containers, bulk parcels, break-bulk and special project shipments.
Swire Shipping Services Offered
The company’s specialized shipping solutions include:
- Breakbulk Specialist
- Mining Supply and Logistics
- Metal to Market
- Heavy Lift
- Construction Materials
- Tuna Fish Handling and Transport
- Pulp and Paper Products
- Fertilizer
- Grain
- One-off, Time sensitive shipments
In addition to its extensive fleet operations, Swire is at the hub of a widely diversified marine services operation. Through its affiliated Swire Pacific Offshore (SPO), the company operates a fleet of 75 marine support vessels. They include anchor handling tug and platform supply vessels and construction and specialist vessels (CSVs).
The CSVs form a diverse fleet that ranges from inspection, maintenance and repair vessels to seismic survey vessels.
Swire Pacific Offshore also owns 50% of SCF Swire Offshore Pte. Limited, a company that operates three ice-breaking supply vessels in Sakhalin, Russia.
The company’s affiliated Swire Pacific Ship Management (SPSM) manages fleet personnel services for The China Navigation Company’s fleet and the Swire Pacific Offshore fleet.
Swire Shipping Container Tracking
Swire Shipping customers can track and trace their shipments with one click via the company’s web site. The system tracks and traces Swire container movements, current vessel location on a world map.
In addition to its specialization in heavy cargo, the company offers the following container types in most ports:
- 20′ General Purpose
- 20′ Folding Flatrack
- 20′ Highcube
- 20′ Half Height
- 20′ Integral Reefer
- 20′ Open Top
- 20′ Tanktainer
- 40′ General Purpose
- 40′ Flatrack
- 40′ Highcube
- 40′ Open Top
Swire Shipping handles customer logistics primarily through the Swire Bulk division, which offers floating transshipment vessels for handling dry bulk commodities for its Asia-Pacific based customers.
Swire Shipping Accreditations and Affiliations
Swire Shipping is accredited or affiliated with these organizations:
- International Maritime Organization
- The World Ocean Council
- Ship Recycling Transparency Initiative
- EcoVadis
- Moana Taka Partnership for Recycling
With its rich history in the Asia-Pacific region, strong global presence and emphasis on bulk and heavy commodity transport, Swire Shipping offers customers a timely, dependable shipping experience.
Official website: https://www.swireshipping.com/

Matt is a veteran of the moving industry, a recognized moving expert and is the founder of Mover Focus. Matt holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) majoring in Finance and Marketing and Bachelor of Arts (BA) majoring in Economics and History. He also has completed the EiM (Essentials in International Moving) course from the FIDI Academy. His advice has been featured in Reader’s Digest, Yahoo Finance, MSN Money, Business News Daily and The SpareFoot Blog Go. Read more.