American century-old shipping company, pioneer of China-US express shipping services, popular choice for e-commerce logistics.
Basic Information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| English Name | Matson Navigation Company, Inc. (Matson) |
| SCAC Code | MATX |
| Headquarters | Oakland, California, USA |
| Established | 1882 |
| Alliance | Independent |
| Fleet Capacity | Approximately 60,000 TEU (Alphaliner 2025) |
| Global Ranking | 19th |
Company Overview
Matson Navigation Company (Matson) was founded in 1882 and is headquartered in Oakland, California. With over 140 years of shipping history, it is one of the oldest shipping companies in the United States and a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker: MATX). The company was founded by Navy Captain William Matson, initially operating freight and passenger routes between San Francisco and Hawaii, then gradually expanding to Guam, the South Pacific, and the U.S. West Coast. This legacy of over a century has given Matson deep operational experience and exceptional safety management capabilities.
In 2005, Matson entered the China-US route market, launching the pioneering CLX (China-Long Beach Express) service. This route departs from Shanghai and Ningbo, China, directly to the Port of Long Beach on the U.S. West Coast, with a transit time of just 11–12 days—5–7 days faster than traditional transpacific routes. Riding on this significant speed advantage, CLX quickly became a popular choice in cross-border e-commerce logistics. Matson later introduced the CLX+ extra-loader service to further increase capacity. Matson's liner on-time performance has long been among the best on transpacific routes, especially favored by Amazon FBA sellers, cross-border e-commerce platforms, and time-sensitive foreign trade companies. In the China-US express shipping market, Matson has become almost synonymous with "fast shipping," with brand recognition and market influence far exceeding what its fleet size would suggest.
Besides its renowned China-US express service, Matson holds a near-monopoly in the Hawaii and Guam routes. As the critical transport lifeline for the Hawaiian Islands, Matson operates multiple weekly sailings from the U.S. West Coast to Hawaii ports such as Honolulu and Hilo, providing reliable transportation of daily necessities, construction materials, and consumer goods for local residents. The company maintains an independent operational stance, not joining any shipping alliance, and retains a unique advantage in the competitive shipping market through high-quality differentiated services and an outstanding safety and environmental record. Matson's safety management system is highly regarded in the industry, earning repeated praise from the U.S. Coast Guard and industry organizations.
Main Routes
| Route | Typical Ports of Call | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| China-US Express (CLX) | Shanghai → Ningbo → Long Beach | Benchmark China-US express service, 11–12 days transit, preferred for e-commerce cargo |
| China-US Express (CLX+) | Shanghai → Ningbo → Long Beach | CLX extra loader, increases capacity to meet peak season demand |
| Hawaii Route | Long Beach → Honolulu → Hilo → Nawiliwili | Lifeline for Hawaiian Islands, frequent weekly sailings |
| Guam Route | Long Beach → Guam → Saipan | Pacific island route, serving military and civilian supplies |
| U.S. West Coast | Oakland → Seattle → Portland | Regional feeder service on U.S. West Coast |
Ports of Call in China
Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen
Operating Guidelines
- Route Features: China-US express service leads the industry in speed, with short transit times and high on-time rates; space is tight during peak seasons, recommend booking 2–3 weeks in advance. CLX and CLX+ share the same route but have staggered schedules, offering customers more options.
- Booking and Documentation: Space on Matson CLX express is extremely tight during the cross-border e-commerce peak season (August–December); book early to secure space. Matson has strict cargo declaration requirements; bill of lading information must be accurate and complete; incorrect commodity declarations may result in cargo being shut out or fined.
- Special Cargo: Matson accepts dangerous goods (DG), reefers, and out-of-gauge (OOG) cargo. E-commerce goods (especially battery-powered products, cosmetics, etc.) need prior confirmation of acceptance under Matson's DG policy. Matson has specific operational procedures for lithium battery cargo, requiring advance declaration and approval.
- Suitable Cargo: Cross-border e-commerce goods, Amazon FBA inbound cargo, high-value items, time-sensitive cargo (e.g., electronic accessories, fashion apparel, medical devices).
- Seasonal Factors: Peak season is concentrated from August to December during the year-end cross-border e-commerce promotion period (Prime Day, Black Friday, Christmas). Shipment volumes drop around January–February before and after Chinese New Year, but capacity also tightens. April–June is a relatively low season with ample space and friendlier rates.
- Transit Time Reference: CLX express from Shanghai/Ningbo to Long Beach approximately 11–12 days (industry leading), CLX+ extra loader about 12–13 days. After discharge at Long Beach, container pickup typically takes 1–2 business days. Overall door-to-door transit (including pickup and delivery) approximately 14–18 days.
- Constraints: Matson's capacity per voyage is limited, much smaller than major carriers like EMC/COSCO. For large-volume shipments (over 50 TEU per shipment), consider splitting or combining with other carriers. Peak e-commerce season space is extremely tight; last-minute bookings are hard to secure; recommend booking 2–3 weeks in advance. Matson's cargo declaration requirements are stricter than industry average; incorrect declarations will lead to cargo shut-out and fines.
- Booking Method: Book through Bofeng Logistics as a first-tier agent for priority space allocation and full Matson express shipping support.
Bofeng Logistics Service
Bofeng Logistics, as a first-tier freight forwarder for Matson Navigation Company, specializes in providing CLX/CLX+ China-US express booking services for cross-border e-commerce and Amazon FBA sellers. We understand that during peak seasons, space is extremely hard to secure—through our long-term partnership with Matson, we can prioritize space for our customers, ensuring stable transit times of 11–12 days to Long Beach. For sensitive e-commerce categories such as battery-powered products and cosmetics, we offer pre-compliance screening services to avoid delays due to declaration issues. With integrated customs clearance, trucking, and warehousing solutions, we make your cross-border e-commerce logistics experience smoother and more efficient.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What is the difference between Matson CLX express and regular transpacific shipping? Matson CLX express from Shanghai and Ningbo to Long Beach takes only 11–12 days, 5–7 days faster than traditional transpacific routes, offering a significant speed advantage. CLX has long maintained a high on-time rate on transpacific routes, making it ideal for time-sensitive cross-border e-commerce and Amazon FBA cargo. CLX+ extra loaders provide additional capacity during peak seasons to meet increased demand.
Q2: What types of cargo are suitable for Matson express? Matson CLX/CLX+ is especially suitable for cross-border e-commerce goods, Amazon FBA inbound cargo, high-value items, and time-sensitive goods such as electronic accessories, fashion apparel, and medical devices. The company has specific operating procedures for lithium battery cargo; battery-powered products and cosmetics need prior confirmation of acceptance.
Q3: When is the peak season for Matson express? The peak season for Matson CLX express is concentrated from August to December each year, when demand for cross-border e-commerce stocking surges and space becomes extremely tight. We recommend customers secure space 2–3 weeks in advance to ensure stable shipping schedules. Bofeng Logistics, as a first-tier Matson forwarder, can prioritize space for customers during peak season, guaranteeing stable 11–12 day transit to Long Beach.
Practical Experience
In the cross-border e-commerce logistics field, the actual experience with Matson CLX express lives up to its reputation. The 11–12 day transit not only beats traditional transpacific routes by 5–7 days on paper, but in practice the time difference is even more pronounced. After traditional services arrive at Los Angeles/Long Beach, containers typically wait 2–5 days for discharge and customs clearance, whereas Matson's dedicated terminal operates with high efficiency—containers are usually discharged and ready for pickup within 24 hours of arrival. For Amazon FBA sellers, this means the entire process from factory in China to warehouse shelf in the U.S. can be completed in 18–22 days, about two weeks faster than conventional ocean shipping.
Space management during the e-commerce peak season is another highlight of Matson operations. From August to December each year, CLX express space is essentially "as rare as hen's teeth." Our peak season strategy is to lock in space 2–3 weeks in advance and complete cargo arrival and customs clearance 10 days before sailing. For sensitive e-commerce categories such as battery-powered products (built-in lithium batteries) and cosmetics, we proactively label the cargo properties when booking and complete Matson's DG approval process in advance—this usually takes 3–5 business days and cannot be left to the last minute. Matson's declaration requirements for such cargo are very strict; any concealment or vague declaration may result in cargo being shut out or even blacklisted by the carrier.
Contact Us
- Bofeng Logistics Booking Hotline: 130-7567-8958
- Email: info@zhbfwl.com