Brief History

1948

• The rebuilding of the company fleet began with the refloatation of the KIYOKAWA MARU, sunk during the war.

1951

• The Japan / Bangkok liner route was established as the first step toward resumption of service. Other principal liner routes were reopened or established later.

1957

• Work on developing an oil tanker fleet was begun with the building of the FUJIKAWA MARU.

1960

• Work on developing a specialized carrier fleet was begun with the building of the ore carrier FUKUKAWA MARU.

1964

• Merged with Iino Kisen Kaisha to become the core company of the Kawasaki Kisen group, capitalized at 9 billion yen.

1968

• "K" LINE's 1st full containership GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE put into the Japan / California service route.
• Started the Japan-Far East / Europe liner route with Mearsk Lines of Denmark.
• Work on developing a specialized car carrier fleet was begun with the car / bulk carrier TOYOTA MARU NO. 1.

1969

• Service with containerships began on Japan / East Australia route.

1970

• Service with containerships began on Japan / Pacific Northwest Coast routes.
• Japan's first PCC (Pure Car Carrier) TOYOTA MARU NO.10 was completed.

1971

• "International Transportation Service, Inc. was established as the company's overseas container terminal in Long Beach, California.

1972

• Service with container ships began on the Japan-Far East / New York route.

1974

• Joined the Far Eastern Freight Conference.

1975

• The ACE Group established as a consortium for the joint operations of containerships on the Japan-Far East / Europe route.

1983

• Became the ship managing company of Japan's first LNG carrier BISHU MARU.

1986

• Began operation of an exclusive Double Stack Train (DST) linking Long Beach, Chicago, and New York.
• Left the Japanese 5-line consortium of Japan-Far East / new York route and established a new round-the-world service with two overseas shipping lines.

1988

• Terminated the consortium with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines for Japan-Far East / U.S. Pacific North West route and started a independent service.

1989

• Reorganized the ACE Group on the European route, and switched to a consortium with two overseas shipping companies.

1991

• In conjunction with the establishment of a dedicated DST network in North America, the Japan-Far East / New York all water service was suspended.

1993

• "K" Line Re-engineering Program started.
• "K" Line Maritime Training Corporation established in Manila.
• Contracts signed for building and chartering seven LNG carriers under the Qatargas project.

1994

• Newly-built wide-beam / shallow-draft coal carrier CORONA ACE put into service.

1995

• Listing of Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen Kaisha, a subsidiary, on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

1996

• Joint ship assignment with the Yang Ming Line of Taiwan started on the Japan-Far East / North America and Japan-Far East / Europe routes.
• The "K" Line Re-engineering Phase II started with a two-years period of 1996 / 97.

1997

• Trans-Atlantic Container Service (TASCO) jointly established with COSCO, with the participation of Yang Ming Line.

1999

• Car Carrier Depertment receives ISO9002.

2000

• New Containership services, Asia / US East coast (via Panama), Asia / Mediterranean and Mediterranean / US East Coast, commenced, which completed our trunk service routes linking west and east.
• Taiyo Kaiun Kabushiki Kaisha merged with Kobe Nippon Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. Taiyo Nippon Kisen Co., Ltd. was founded. Reformation of our subsidiary companies for ship management and administration completed.

2001

• The company's first 300,000 dwt double-hulled VLCC "KUMANOGAWA" was delivered.
• Established Training Center for Dangerous Cargo Carriers within "K" LINE Traning Center, Tokyo with three training simulators for LNG carriers / LPG carriers / oil tankers.
• Established "K" LINE Group's Environmental Charter.
• "K" Line Pte Ltd, started their business as shipping company in Singapore.
• 1st over-panamax containership GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE was built at Hyundai Heavy Industries, Ulsan.
• "K" LINE, COSCON, Yang Ming and Hanjin (Senator) agreed to accelerate the process of cooperation with an ultimate goal of established an alliance.
• Reached an agreement with Statoil and Mitsui & Co. for the long-term time charter of two LNG carriers.

2002

• Launched Europe / Asia / U.S. West Coast Service with 5,500TEU-type containerships.
• Acquisition ISO 14001 in recognition of Environmental Management System from Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK).
• Founded a new company "K" Line Total Logistics, LLC (KLTL) to promote "K"LINE group companies logistics capabilities.
• Established "K" Line (Japan) Ltd. for strengthening container sales activities in Japan.

2003

• Opened a business base in Houston for Natural Gas transport services
• Started its own shortsea car carrier services under the flag and the name of "K"Line European Sea Highway Services GmbH (KESS)
• Decided to place new orders for four 8,000-teu containerships and five 5,500-teu containerships, to be delivered from 2006 to 2007
• The Group obtained govermental permission to establish a new logistics J/V company named Shanghai "K"Line Z.F.Logistics Co., Ltd.
• Founded a new company named Oriental Sea Highway Services Co.,Ltd.

2004

• Opened Beijing representative office
• Ordered for three new 300,000 dwt super large ore carriers in accordance with long term voyage charter contracts.
• Decided to place new orders for 145,000 m3 LNG carrier under a time charter agreement with J&S Cheniere. The vessel will be our first solely owned and operated LNG carrier.
• Decided to place new orders for two 38,000 m3 fully refrigerated Ammonia/LPG carriers under a long term time charter agreement with Yara. These are our first contracts for the type of Gas carrier.

2005

• Concluded 20-year time charter agreement for three new LNG carriers for Tangguh LNG Project with the Tangguh Production Sharing Contractors.
• Construction of the car carrier M/V Shanghai Highway with a capacity of 5000 units of vehicles by NACKS. This is our first shipbuilding projection in China.
• KYH ( "K"LINE, Yang Ming, Hanjin) & PSA HNN set up a joint venture company, Antwerp International Terminal NV to operate multiple berths at Deurgank Terminal, Antwerp.
• Concluded a time -charter contract with Exxon Mobil, the world biggest oil major, for a VLCC scheduled for completion in June 2007.

2006

• Delivery of a brand new 140,000 cbm type LNG carrier ARCTIC DISCOVERER for the Snohvit Project
• Foundation of "K"LINE LOGISTICS, LTD. by merger of "K"Line Air Service, Ltd. and "K"Logistics, Ltd.
• Delivery of a new 8000TEU container vessel HUMBER BRIDGE which is the largest containership ever built in Japan

2007

• Establishment of Overseas Liaison India.
• A New Joint Venture between SAL and "K" Line.
• Establishment of "K"Line Maritime Academy(India) to foster marine technical personnel.
• Establishment of "K" Line Brasil Ltda.
• Foundation of K LINE OFF SHORE AS with CHSM(Norway).Investing in Business of Offshore Support Vessels.

2008

• Established "K"Line Maritime Academy ( Philippines ).
• A giant en bloc deal for consecutive voyage charter with 10 vessels signed with JSW Group in India.
• Established "K"LINE Vision 100, a new four-year medium-term management plan.
• First "Unimax Ore"-300,000 DWT type ore carrier "GRANDE PROGRESSO" delivered at Universal Shipbuilding.
• Invested in FLEX LNG., which was promoting offshore LNG production.
• Commenced full-scale cold ironing operation ( supplying shore-side electricity power to ships at berth ) at the ITS Long Beach container terminal.

2009

• Together with PSA Corporation and NYK Lines, "K"Lines established Asia Automobile Terminal ( Singapore ) Private Limited for terminal operation exclusively for car carriers.
• Established "K"Line RORO & Bulk Agencia Maritima Ltda, an own agency in Brazil, to strengthen its car carrier, bulk carrier and energy transportation businesses.
• "K"Line and four other companies participated in an ultra-deepwater drillship project led by Petroleo Brasileiro S.A ( "Petrobras" ) of Brazil.

2010

• ¥38.3 billion raised through a public offering and the issuance of new shares through third-party allotment.
• Invested capital in US Logistics Provider, Air Tiger Express Companies Inc.
• Completion of construction of the KL BREVIKFJORD, the first large platform supply vessel owned and operated by K LINE OFFSHORE AS and the first offshore support vessel built by the "K" Line Group.