常用简称
kmtc
SCAC 代码
KMTC
总部所在地
韩国·首尔
航运联盟
独立运营
船队运力
约 8 万 TEU

Korea's long-established container shipping company, one of the most active carriers on the China-Korea route, operating independently.

Basic Information

Item Details
English Name Korea Marine Transport Company (KMTC)
SCAC Code KMTC
Headquarters Seoul, South Korea
Established 1954
Shipping Alliance Independent operation
Fleet Capacity Approx. 80,000 TEU (Alphaliner 2025)
Global Ranking 22nd

Company Overview

Korea Marine Transport Company (KMTC), founded in 1954, is one of the most historic shipping companies in South Korea, headquartered in Seoul. The company started with domestic coastal shipping in Korea, and its early operational experience laid a solid foundation for future expansion into international routes. After nearly seven decades of development, KMTC has gradually grown into a specialized container shipping company with the China-Korea route at its core, covering major Asian trade corridors, and holds a solid market position and extensive customer base in the Northeast Asian shipping market.

KMTC's core competitiveness undoubtedly lies in the extremely high density and excellent operational efficiency of its China-Korea routes. The company operates multiple weekly services connecting major Chinese coastal ports with Korean ports such as Busan and Incheon, maintaining high-frequency schedules on key flows such as Shanghai–Busan, Qingdao–Busan, and Tianjin–Incheon. For import and export enterprises engaged in China-Korea trade, KMTC provides stable and efficient logistics channel options. Particularly in the cargo segments of electronic products and semiconductor components, chemicals, auto parts, and daily consumer goods, KMTC has accumulated extensive transportation experience and a deep understanding of cargo packaging, stowage, and documentation requirements.

In addition to the core China-Korea trunk routes, KMTC also maintains stable capacity deployment on Korea–Southeast Asia and Korea–Japan routes. The company operates with a steady and pragmatic style, always prioritizing service quality and schedule punctuality. KMTC is also one of the few Asian carriers that remain independent, not joining any shipping alliances, yet still maintaining strong independent operational capabilities. This strategy gives it greater flexibility and autonomy in route decisions and capacity management. In North China ports such as Qingdao, Weihai, and Yantai, KMTC leverages its unique geographical advantages and stable space supply to become an important ocean freight service provider for local export enterprises.

Main Routes

Route Typical Ports of Call Remarks
China-Korea Route Shanghai → Busan → Incheon → Qingdao Highest density on China-Korea route; core flows have multiple weekly sailings
China-Korea Route Shenzhen → Ningbo → Busan → Dalian Covers major ports in South, East, and North China
Korea–Southeast Asia Busan → Shanghai → Hong Kong → Ho Chi Minh → Laem Chabang Southbound route connecting emerging Southeast Asian markets
Korea–Japan Busan → Osaka → Tokyo → Moji Korea-Japan feeder, weekly service
China–Southeast Asia Qingdao → Shanghai → Singapore → Port Klang Via Korea transshipment, covering Southeast Asia
North China–Korea Qingdao → Weihai → Incheon → Yantai North China feeder, flexible port calls

Ports of Call in China

Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen, Qingdao, Tianjin, Dalian, Weihai, Yantai

Operational Notes

  • Route Features: High-frequency sailings with stable schedules on China-Korea routes; advantage especially prominent at North China ports (Qingdao, Weihai, Yantai); good transshipment connectivity on Korea–Southeast Asia southbound routes.
  • Booking & Documentation: KMTC's booking system runs efficiently with fast space confirmation. For Korea routes, pay close attention to the accuracy of the consignee and notify party information on the bill of lading. Korean Customs has extremely high requirements for manifest data accuracy; incorrect information may lead to customs clearance delays and fines at destination.
  • Special Cargo: KMTC has extensive experience in shipping chemicals and dangerous goods (DG), accepting all types of chemical ocean freight. MSDS and dangerous goods transport declarations must be submitted prior to booking and approved by the carrier before loading. Reefer container transport requires advance confirmation of plug type and temperature settings.
  • Suitable Cargo: China-Korea trade goods (electronics, semiconductor components, chemicals, auto parts, daily consumer goods).
  • Seasonal Factors: Peak season on China-Korea routes falls around Chinese New Year (January–February, Korean import stockpiling) and summer (July–August, peak shipments of electronics and semiconductors). Schedules may be adjusted around Korea's National Day (October) and Lunar New Year (lunar January); advance confirmation is advised.
  • Transit Time Reference: Qingdao/Weihai to Busan approx. 1–2 days, Shanghai to Incheon approx. 2–3 days, Tianjin to Busan approx. 2–3 days. Korea to Southeast Asia routes approx. 7–12 days. The extremely short voyage on China-Korea routes is KMTC's core time-saving advantage.
  • Limitations: KMTC's fleet primarily serves China-Korea routes; for destinations in Europe, America, Middle East, Africa, etc., transshipment via Busan is required; no direct service is available. Korean Customs imposes very strict accuracy requirements on manifest data (especially the consignee's tax ID); incorrect information may result in cargo detention and fines. Bofeng Logistics can assist customers in standardizing operations to ensure document accuracy and compliance.
  • Booking Method: Book through Bofeng Logistics as a first-tier agent to enjoy fast confirmation and full operational support.

Bofeng Logistics Services

As a primary co-loading partner of Korea Marine Transport Company (KMTC), Bofeng Logistics fully leverages KMTC's highest density on China-Korea routes and the most comprehensive port coverage in Korea. We provide weekly fast-booking services to Busan and Incheon for customers at ports in South, East, and North China, especially handling key Korea trade cargo types such as electronics, semiconductor components, and chemicals. With in-depth knowledge of Korean Customs declaration procedures, we help customers achieve the fastest customs clearance and delivery times between China and Korea. Supporting services including customs brokerage, trucking, and warehousing provide a one-stop solution to ensure transportation efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What advantages does KMTC have on China-Korea routes? Korea Marine Transport Company (KMTC) operates extremely high-density weekly services on China-Korea routes, with dense schedules and stable space on core flows such as Shanghai–Busan, Qingdao–Busan, and Tianjin–Incheon. The company's advantage is especially prominent at North China ports (Qingdao, Weihai, Yantai), providing convenient direct ocean services for local export enterprises and reducing logistics costs of inland trucking to major hub ports.

Q2: What types of companies are suitable for KMTC? KMTC is suitable for import/export enterprises engaged in China-Korea trade, particularly in the cargo segments of electronics, semiconductor components, chemicals, auto parts, and daily consumer goods. The company has rich operational experience in industrial goods transportation and is especially professional in shipping chemicals and dangerous goods, making it a key ocean freight service provider for export enterprises in North China.

Q3: How is KMTC different from large shipping companies? KMTC operates independently, not joining any shipping alliances, giving it greater flexibility and autonomy in route decisions and capacity management. While large shipping companies pursue global coverage, KMTC focuses on China-Korea and Northeast Asian routes, deeply cultivating niche markets with more refined and specialized services. It has a port call advantage at small and medium North China ports that large carriers find hard to match.

Practical Experience

The China-Korea route is the absolute core of KMTC. In actual operations, we have found that each major Korean port has its own characteristics: Busan Port, as the largest transshipment hub in Northeast Asia, has extremely high operational efficiency, with containers staying in port for an average of only 1–2 days—suitable for cargo requiring fast transshipment; Incheon Port is only 30 km from downtown Seoul, offering far greater convenience for pick-up than Busan for customers whose delivery addresses are in Seoul or Gyeonggi Province; although Gwangyang Port is smaller, it has lower congestion, suitable for cargo with flexible timing. KMTC has dense sailing schedules at all three ports, and we can recommend the most appropriate discharge port based on the specific location of the customer's destination.

Korean import customs clearance is another key step. Korean Customs uses an electronic declaration system (UNI-PASS) with extremely high requirements for consistency between B/L information and manifest—the product name, HS code, and consignee's tax ID (PCCC number) must exactly match the import declaration. Any discrepancy may lead to customs clearance delays and additional costs. We recommend that customers provide the accurate consignee tax ID at the time of booking and carefully verify the B/L draft before the cut-off. For customers handling Korean imports for the first time, we send a Korean customs clearance checklist in advance to help them prepare all necessary documentation at once.

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