- This article refers to a Japanese shipping company. For other meanings, see K-line (disambiguation).
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (川崎汽船株式会社 Kawasaki Kisen Kabushiki-gaisha?) (TYO: 9107), also referred to as "K" Line, is a very large Japanese shipping company which moves Japanese cargo around the world. It owns and/or controls large cargo ships, including dry cargo ships, container ships, gas carriers, RoRo ships and tankers. It is the tenth largest container transportation and shipping company in the world.
- Established: April 5, 1919
- Paid-in Capital: 29,689 million yen
- Business Lines: Marine transportation; insurance agency; warehousing; land transportation through transportation involving marine, land and air intermodal transportation
- Stock Exchange Listing: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Frankfurt, Brussels
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History
1919-1944
"K" Line (named after three K initials) was formed when Kojiro Matsukata placed Kawasaki Kisen, Kawasaki Zosen and Kokusai Kisen under joint management to build a stronger fleet of 40 to 50 ships serving the Atlantic, North and South America, Africa and the Mediterranean and Baltic Seas. According to Lloyds, the newly established "K" Line was ranked 13th in the world in 1926, behind NYK (9th) but ahead of O.S.K. (14th). By the end of World War II, Kawasaki Kisen had lost 56 vessels; 12 survived.
1945-1961
During that vital recovery period, "K" Line steadily returned to the building and operation of ships, reestablished bases of operation around the world, increased earnings and took other steps to restore corporate strength and vibrancy.
1962-1967
After the merger with Iino Kisen, "K" Line was newly capitalized at ¥9 billion and controlled a fleet of 104 ships, 55 of which were also owned by "K" Line. The merger gave "K" Line a solid foundation to advance dynamically into the future both as one of the world's largest shipping lines in terms of fleet size and as a well-balanced, integrated organization.
10 Ship to be manned by Filipinos
On September 30, 2007, Shuichiro Maeda, K-Line president, said the company will build 10 cargo ships to be manned by an all-Filipino officers and crew. The vessels are expected to be finished by 2010. It will employ 7,000 Filipinos in the next 4 years (3, 330 officers and 3, 600 ratings or crew). K-Line will build the K-Line Maritime Academy-Philippines operational in February 2008 and is intended to train at least 10,000 seafarers a year. [1]
External links
Others
- "K" Line Air Service, Ltd.
- "K" Line Travel, Ltd.
