COSCO Shipping International
A Hong Kong-listed COSCO Shipping group company focused on ship trading, marine supply services and related industrial operations.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
COSCO Shipping International (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. is a Bermuda-incorporated, Hong Kong-listed company within the China COSCO Shipping group. The company operates primarily in ship trading and the supply of services and products to the maritime industry. Its activities have included marine paints and coatings, ship equipment and materials, and other services supporting vessel operators and shipping companies. It is headquartered in Hong Kong and has been listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong since 1992. The company originated as Shun Shing Holdings, incorporated in Bermuda in September 1991 and registered as a foreign company in Hong Kong the following year. Its early activities were associated with construction and engineering through the Hong Kong contractor Shun Shing Construction & Engineering, which also had a Singapore presence. After the company was acquired by the Hong Kong division of China Ocean Shipping (Group) Corporation in 1997, it became known as COSCO International and gradually developed a broader portfolio connected with real estate, civil construction, shipping services, marine insurance and marine paints. During the 2000s, the business remained involved in property and construction projects while also expanding its relationship with the wider COSCO group. It developed Broadview Court, a public housing project in Wong Chuk Hang, and transferred several floors of COSCO Tower to its parent in 2005. In 2007, it disposed of Shun Shing Construction to the parent group, marking a further separation from its former construction-centered operations. The company also held a substantial investment in Sino-Ocean Group before announcing the disposal of that holding in 2010. Following the 2015 merger of China Ocean Shipping Group and China Shipping Group, the company adopted its current COSCO Shipping International name. The rebranding placed it within the post-merger COSCO Shipping structure while preserving its Hong Kong listed-company status. In 2018, it acquired a marine-paint manufacturer, supporting a strategy of vertical integration in products and services used by the shipping industry. COSCO Shipping International is a red-chip company: it is incorporated outside mainland China, listed in Hong Kong and controlled through the COSCO Shipping group, which is ultimately supervised by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council. Its sister companies include COSCO Shipping Ports, COSCO Shipping Holdings, COSCO Shipping Development, COSCO Shipping Energy and COSCO Shipping International (Singapore). The company should not be confused with the Singapore-listed COSCO Shipping International or with COSCO Shipping's principal container-shipping subsidiaries.
History
COSCO Shipping International traces its corporate history to Shun Shing Holdings, a company incorporated in Bermuda on 9 September 1991 and registered in Hong Kong as a foreign company in 1992. It became listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong on 11 February 1992. The original business structure included Shun Shing Construction & Engineering, a Hong Kong-based main contractor that had previously operated a Singapore branch. In 1994, the Singapore operation formed a joint venture with Low Keng Huat and obtained a main-contractor role on a residential housing-estate project. In 1997, the listed company was acquired by the Hong Kong division of China Ocean Shipping (Group) Corporation. The acquisition marked the beginning of its long association with the COSCO group. At that time, the company was known as COSCO International and had a diversified portfolio that included property, civil construction, marine services, marine insurance and marine paints. The post-acquisition period was also connected with an accounting controversy involving irregularities attributed to the prior ownership. The matter later generated a professional-discipline dispute involving the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the handling of an investigation into the external auditors. The company continued to participate in construction and property development during the early 2000s. In 2001, it acted as developer of Broadview Court in Wong Chuk Hang, a public housing estate developed under Hong Kong's Private Sector Participation Scheme. The Housing Authority was the client, and the units were made available to the public through the Home Ownership Scheme. In 2005, the company sold eight floors of COSCO Tower to its direct parent, COSCO (Hong Kong), for HK$1.4 billion, illustrating the importance of related-party asset transactions within the group structure. In February 2007, it sold Shun Shing Construction, its former main operating business, to the parent company. The portfolio also included a substantial investment in Sino-Ocean Group, a fellow Hong Kong-listed property developer. COSCO International was the second-largest shareholder in Sino-Ocean, holding approximately 16.85 percent before announcing the disposal of the investment in 2010. This divestment reflected a gradual movement away from property-related holdings and toward activities more closely connected with maritime services and the COSCO ecosystem. A major group-level change occurred in 2015, when China Ocean Shipping Group merged with China Shipping Group to create China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited, commonly known as COSCO Shipping. The listed company was subsequently renamed COSCO Shipping International (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. The new name aligned the company with the reorganized group while retaining its Hong Kong listing and Bermuda incorporation. In 2018, the company acquired a marine-paint manufacturer. The transaction supported a vertical-integration approach in which the company could participate not only in trading and supplying services to shipping companies but also in manufacturing products used for vessel protection and maintenance. Its current identity is therefore the result of several stages: an early construction and property orientation, acquisition into the COSCO group, portfolio rationalization, and a later concentration on ship trading and marine-related supply businesses. The company is structured as a red-chip listed enterprise. Its immediate parent is COSCO Shipping (Hong Kong), while the wider ownership chain leads to China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited and ultimately to the state-owned enterprise system overseen by China's State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. Its corporate position gives it access to the wider COSCO Shipping network, although it remains legally distinct from sister listed companies such as COSCO Shipping Ports, COSCO Shipping Holdings, COSCO Shipping Development, COSCO Shipping Energy and COSCO Shipping International (Singapore).
- 2018
Marine-paint acquisition
[1]The company acquired a marine-paint manufacturer to support vertical integration in maritime supplies.
- 2015
Adoption of COSCO Shipping name
[1]After the merger that created China COSCO Shipping, the listed company was renamed COSCO Shipping International (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd.
- 2010
Sino-Ocean investment disposal announced
[1]The company announced the sale of its approximately 16.85 percent holding in Sino-Ocean Group.
- 2007
Construction business disposal
[1]Shun Shing Construction was sold to the parent company, reducing the listed company's direct exposure to its former construction business.
- 2005
COSCO Tower asset disposal
[1]Eight floors of COSCO Tower were sold to the company's direct parent.
- 2001
Broadview Court development
[1]The company developed Broadview Court in Wong Chuk Hang under Hong Kong's Private Sector Participation Scheme.
- 1997
Acquisition by COSCO
[1]The listed company was acquired by the Hong Kong division of China Ocean Shipping (Group) Corporation and became associated with the COSCO International identity.
- 1994
Singapore construction joint venture
[1]The Singapore branch of Shun Shing Construction formed a joint venture with Low Keng Huat and obtained a main-contractor contract for a residential housing-estate project.
- 1992
Hong Kong listing
[1]The company was registered as a foreign company in Hong Kong and became listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong on 11 February.
- 1991
Incorporation of Shun Shing Holdings
[1]Shun Shing Holdings was incorporated in Bermuda on 9 September 1991.
Products and positioning
A listed maritime-services and marine-supplies platform within the COSCO Shipping group, with a portfolio shaped by vertical integration around vessel operations.
Maritime commercial services
Ship trading
Ship trading is one of the company's principal activities. It connects the company with vessel transactions and related commercial requirements within the maritime sector, complementing its broader role as a supplier and service provider to shipping companies.
Marine supplies
Marine supplies and equipment
The company supplies products and services used by shipping companies and vessel operators. The available reference material identifies this area broadly rather than providing a complete catalog of individual equipment categories.
Marine coatings · 2018
Marine paints and coatings
Marine paints and coatings form part of the company's maritime-supply portfolio. The 2018 acquisition of a marine-paint manufacturer strengthened the group's ability to participate in manufacturing as well as trading and distribution.
Engineering contracting
Engineering and construction
Engineering and construction were important historical activities through Shun Shing Construction & Engineering. The construction subsidiary was sold to the parent company in 2007, so this is treated as a historical rather than a current flagship line.
Shipping-related financial services
Marine insurance services
Marine insurance was among the shipping-related services associated with the company during its diversified COSCO International period. The reference material does not establish that it remains a current core activity.
Controversies
1997
Accounting irregularities and auditor-discipline dispute
After the acquisition of the former Shun Shing Holdings business by COSCO, accounting irregularities associated with the previous ownership became the subject of a controversy. The matter led to a dispute involving the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the handling of disciplinary proceedings concerning the company's external auditors.
Brand decisions
2018
Acquisition of marine-paint manufacturerM&ABackground
The company sought greater vertical integration in maritime products and services.
Action taken
It acquired a manufacturer of marine paint.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded the company's participation in the marine-coatings supply chain.
2015
Corporate rebranding after COSCO-China Shipping mergerOtherBackground
China Ocean Shipping Group and China Shipping Group merged to form China COSCO Shipping Corporation Limited.
Action taken
The listed company changed its name from COSCO International to COSCO Shipping International (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd.
Aftermath
The new name aligned the company with the reorganized COSCO Shipping group while preserving its Hong Kong-listed identity.
2010
Disposal of Sino-Ocean Group investmentStrategyBackground
COSCO International was the second-largest shareholder of Sino-Ocean Group, a fellow Hong Kong-listed property developer, with an approximately 16.85 percent holding.
Action taken
The company announced that it would sell its Sino-Ocean Group shareholding.
Aftermath
The decision marked a reduction in property-related investment exposure.
2007
Disposal of Shun Shing ConstructionM&ABackground
Construction had been part of the company's original operating heritage through its Shun Shing subsidiary.
Action taken
The company sold Shun Shing Construction to its parent company.
Aftermath
The disposal reduced the listed company's direct involvement in construction and supported a greater concentration on COSCO- and shipping-related activities.
2005
Sale of COSCO Tower floors to parentStrategyBackground
The company held part of the COSCO Tower office property while operating within a group structure that included its direct parent, COSCO (Hong Kong).
Action taken
It sold eight floors of COSCO Tower to the direct parent.
Aftermath
The transaction transferred a substantial property asset within the COSCO group and was part of the company's broader portfolio management.
Transaction value. HK$1.4 billion transaction value (2005)
Sources1 sources
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