Singapore – The China Navigation Company Pte. Ltd. (CNCo) today announced that it has been renamed to Swire Shipping Pte. Ltd. (Swire Shipping), as part of a strategy to streamline its brands, and present customers and stakeholders with a consistent and unified experience across its product offerings.

“Swire Shipping is widely recognised as the operating name of the business and is well-established from a commercial and customer-facing perspective. Therefore, it is logical for us to use Swire Shipping as the primary name,” said James Woodrow, Managing Director, Swire Shipping Pte. Ltd.

“The name change is expected to be seamless,” said Mr Woodrow. “It will not impact the existing nature and structure of the company, nor will it affect existing relations with customers, partners, suppliers, financial institutions, manufacturing, contracts, personnel and/or shareholders.”

CNCo started on the banks of the Yangtze River in 1872, operating a modest fleet of Mississippi-style paddle steamers. The company offers multipurpose liner services through Swire Shipping for the global transportation of containerised, breakbulk, heavy lift and project cargoes, whilst its Projects division provides specialist shipping services to the energy, resource and infrastructure sectors in the global project logistics market. In January 2021, CNCo’s bulk shipping division became a standalone entity under Swire Bulk Pte Ltd.

In tandem with CNCo’s growth, Swire Shipping has become synonymous as a leading provider of sustainable liner shipping services in the Asia-Pacific markets, connecting over 400 ports via its extensive network. In July 2021, Swire Shipping launched its landside logistics division to offer customers enhanced services such as customs clearance, inland transportation and cargo management solutions.

Continuing focus on the Pacific

Following the renaming, Swire Shipping will continue to be focused on the Pacific, a geographical region that has been the backbone of the Company’s growth. “We will continue to be a leading provider of a wide range of specialist customer solutions for various types of cargo and continue to grow our end-to-end offering. We remain true to our purpose of enriching lives by connecting customers and communities in the Pacific,” said Mr Woodrow.

In addition to its community work in the Pacific, Swire Shipping is a key sponsor of Fiji rugby and, through the Moana Taka Partnership, ships out waste from the Pacific on a pro-bono basis to approved ports in the APAC region for recycling. Earlier this year, it announced that it has commenced work on Project Cerulean to build a low-carbon, low-cost sail-assisted inter-island cargo vessel to serve communities in the Pacific that lack cargo handling infrastructure.

In August, the Company embarked on the renaming of the vessels in its fleet. By the end of October 2021, the majority of the vessels it operates will be named after a Pacific Island nation or location. “When someone thinks of shipping in the Pacific, they naturally think of Swire Shipping,” added Jeremy Sutton, Chief Operating Officer, Swire Shipping.

CNCo to continue to be main holding company in UK

The name of the holding company in the UK – The China Navigation Company Ltd – will remain unchanged. Similarly, the names of the company’s subsidiary and branches in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as well as its brand name “太古轮船Taigu Lunchuan (CNCo)” will be retained, as these names are deeply embedded with our corporate brand in the region. In all other jurisdictions, the name will be changed from CNCo to Swire Shipping.

Brand new website

The new Swire Shipping website (www.swireshipping.com) has also been launched, offering a suite of enhanced e-commerce tools, including our all-new Instant Pricing feature and a refreshed Quote and Booking experience, as well as information on the Company including Swire Projects, its division offering diverse marine solutions for the project industry. Extensive information about Swire Shipping’s award-winning and industry-leading initiatives in Sustainable Development (SD), annual SD reports, careers with Swire Shipping and global footprint are also available on the website.

“In all, it is an exciting time for us as we grow our business, and as we celebrate our 150th anniversary next year. We have all the building blocks in place; a strong, unified and highly-respected brand, a range of innovative and sustainable solutions, a modern and eco-friendly fleet and a highly-committed workforce determined to deliver success for our customers,” said Mr Sutton.