- Business
- Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. ("K" LINE) operates as a global marine transportation company providing dry bulk carriers for commodities including coal, iron ore, and grain; car carriers for automobiles; LNG carriers and liquefied gas carriers; crude oil and product tankers; containerships through participation in Ocean Network Express; and specialized energy transportation services, alongside terminal operations, logistics, land and air freight, warehousing, and insurance. Founded in 1919 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the company serves major trade routes across Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, and Africa, targeting industrial shippers, energy producers, automotive manufacturers, and commodity traders. Recent developments include the acquisition of Airseas' Seawing kite propulsion technology business through a new entity Oceanicwing in France in early 2024 to advance wind-assisted shipping; reorganization of its Thailand logistics operations by transferring the business of subsidiary K LINE (Thailand) Ltd. to K LINE Logistics (Thailand) Ltd. in November 2025; opening of a representative office in Doha, Qatar in June 2025 to expand in energy and low-carbon fuel markets; a capital alliance between "K" LINE Wind Service and SN Marine for offshore wind support; and an agreement with Japan Marine United for Phase 2 of NEDO's Green Innovation Fund project focused on environmental technologies.