Western Overseas Corporation

What Western Overseas Corporation does

Western Overseas Corporation is a privately-held, full-service international logistics and customs brokerage firm founded in approximately 1976 (celebrating 50 years in 2026) and headquartered in Cypress, California. The company operates 23 offices across the United States and Hong Kong and is supported by 150+ global network agencies, with a wholly-owned subsidiary, Columbia Distribution, providing bi-coastal warehousing, distribution, and e-commerce fulfillment services. Its revenue is generated across six integrated service lines: Transport Solutions (air, ocean, and land freight forwarding), Supply Chain Solutions (customs brokerage, cargo insurance, carnets, and consulting), and E-Commerce Solutions (warehousing & distribution, FBA, and Direct-to-Consumer fulfillment). Customers are enterprise clients in five primary verticals — Automotive, Food & Beverage, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, Liquor, and Textiles & Apparel — each served by dedicated industry specialists under a single-point-of-contact model.

The company is licensed as a customs broker by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Maritime Commission, and the Interstate Commerce Commission, and holds CTPAT certification, IATA Cargo Agency Program membership, and ACE Portal / CPSC eFiling capabilities. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales with 24/7 customer support, complemented by content marketing, an industry-newsletter, and active leadership in NCBFAA, LACBFFA, PCC, and FTA. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with revenue mechanics spanning transaction fees (freight forwarding), professional services (customs brokerage, insurance, carnets, consulting), and managed services (3PL warehousing).

Western Overseas' underlying technology consists primarily of the third-party CargoWise NEO platform — a web-based single-platform shipment tracking, document visibility, and messaging system — supplemented by a proprietary streamlined auto-parts classification database. There is no public evidence of proprietary AI/ML systems or in-house model development. The firm is independently held, with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or external funding rounds, and has a leadership team including President Carlo De Atouguia (joined 2000) and three Vice Presidents covering Regulatory Compliance, Customs Brokerage Operations, and Global Logistics & Export Compliance.

Name

Western Overseas Corporation

Legal name

Western Overseas Corporation

Website

https://westernoverseas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Western Overseas Corporation is a privately-held, full-service international logistics and customs brokerage firm operating 23 US and Hong Kong offices with 150+ global network agencies. It serves enterprise clients across Automotive, Food & Beverage, Healthcare & Pharma, Liquor, and Textiles & Apparel with freight forwarding, customs brokerage, cargo insurance, carnets, consulting, and 3PL warehousing through subsidiary Columbia Distribution.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Freight Forwarding and Customs Brokerage

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Freight Transportation Arrangement (4885), Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Marine Cargo Handling (48832)

SIC

Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731), Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

FCL (Full Container Load) Ocean Forwarding (TLACABAA), Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), Trade Compliance & Ocean Regulatory Services (Sanctions/Export Controls) (TLACABAL), Ocean Freight Brokerage (FCL/LCL) (TLADAMAF), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE)

Keywords

• International freight forwarding
• Customs brokerage services
• Warehousing and distribution
• Cargo insurance brokerage
• Global logistics solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Cypress

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Freight Forwarding Services: Revenue generated from air, ocean, and land freight forwarding services. The company negotiates carrier rates and passes savings to customers. Services include FCL/LCL, temperature-controlled shipping, and specialized handling.
2. Customs Brokerage Services: Revenue from customs clearance, regulatory compliance, classification, and brokerage services. Licensed by Homeland Security Department, Federal Maritime Commission, and Interstate Commerce Commission.
3. Cargo Insurance Services: Licensed Cargo Insurance Brokers providing coverage including General Average, All-risk, FPA, and WA coverage for ocean, land or air freight. Single point of contact for purchasing appropriate policies.
4. Carnet Services: Document preparation services for Carnets ('passports for goods') used for temporary exports, covering multiple countries for multiple trips up to one year.
5. Warehousing & Distribution Services: 3PL warehousing and distribution services through wholly-owned subsidiary Columbia Distribution. Includes storage, fulfillment, labeling, re-labeling, kitting, and e-commerce fulfillment.
6. Consulting Services: Advisory services covering export/import regulations, Federal Regulations, licenses, permits, tariffs, taxes, warehousing, labeling, and inventory control.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Western Overseas Corporation is a full-service global logistics and freight forwarding company that arranges air, ocean, and land transportation of goods across international borders. The company also provides licensed customs brokerage, cargo insurance, carnet document preparation, regulatory consulting, and 3PL warehousing and distribution services through its wholly-owned subsidiary Columbia Distribution.

Product overview

Western Overseas Corporation is a full-service global logistics and freight forwarding company offering integrated shipping solutions. The product portfolio includes Transport Solutions (Air Freight Forwarding, Ocean Freight Forwarding, Land Freight Forwarding), Supply Chain Solutions (Customs Brokerage, Cargo Insurance, Carnets, Consulting), and E-Commerce Solutions (Warehousing & Distribution via subsidiary Columbia Distribution, FBA, Direct-to-Consumer). The company operates its proprietary CargoWise NEO web-based shipment tracking platform that provides real-time shipment updates and integrates business operations with customers and partners. The overall offering is structured as a unified all-in-one solution for international shipping and logistics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Columbia Distribution: Wholly-owned subsidiary providing warehousing and distribution services with facilities on both U.S. East and West coasts

Products and services

• Air Freight Forwarding
• Ocean Freight Forwarding Ocean freight forwarding services for Full Container Load (FCL) and Less Than Container Load (LCL) shipments worldwide, including refrigerated cargo, break bulk, and project cargo.
• Land Freight Forwarding Cross-border and land freight forwarding services throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, including FTL, LTL, and ground expedited options.
• Customs Brokerage Licensed customs clearance services including documentation preparation, merchandise appraisals, classifications, government agency clearances, and regulatory compliance support across multiple U.S. agencies.
• Cargo Insurance Cargo insurance brokerage providing General Average, All-risk, Free of Particular Average (FPA), and With Average (WA) coverage for ocean, land, or air freight shipments.
• Carnets Document preparation services for ATA Carnets ('passports for goods') used for temporary exports of commercial goods to multiple countries within one year, with meet-and-greet delivery at major US airports.
• Consulting Global shipping and logistics consulting covering export/import regulations, Federal Regulations, licenses, permits, tariffs, taxes, warehousing, labeling, and inventory control.
• Warehousing & Distribution Third-party logistics (3PL) warehousing and distribution services through wholly-owned subsidiary Columbia Distribution, including storage, prep services, inspection, bundling, kitting, and returns handling at bi-coastal facilities.
• FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) Amazon FBA fulfillment services for e-commerce sellers, including receipt of purchase orders and product preparation.
• Direct-to-Consumer Fulfillment Direct-to-consumer fulfillment services managing purchase orders from various platforms for timely product delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Real-time shipment updates providing full visibility and control of supply chain
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IATA (International Air Transport Association)coreTechnology or IntegrationWestern Overseas Corporation is a member of IATA's cargo agency program, providing their Air Freight Forwarding division the ability to arrange for immediate dispatch of urgent air freight deliveries and recognized as an industry leader in freight forwarding.
• Columbia Distribution (Wholly-Owned Subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern Overseas' wholly-owned subsidiary providing bi-coastal 3PL warehousing and distribution services. Warehouses located near ports on both East and West Coasts enabling fulfillment within two days anywhere in the US.
• CBP (Customs and Border Protection) - CTPATcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern Overseas Corporation is a CTPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) certified member, demonstrating commitment to supply chain security standards recognized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
• NCBFAA (National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive membership and leadership involvement. Leadership team members serve on Customs Committee and Nominating Committee, driving progress in trade policy, compliance, and broker advocacy.
• LACBFFA (Los Angeles Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive membership and leadership involvement. VP of Customs Brokerage Operations Pat Vangtan served as President and Board Chair. Company also leads PGA Committee within PCC.
• PCC (Pacific Coast Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive membership with leadership involvement. VP of Customs Brokerage Operations serves as Chair of PGA Committee and Program Chair for WESCCON within the organization.
• FTA (Foreign Trade Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident Carlo De Atouguia is an active member and has served as FTA President and Chairman. The association focuses on international trade policy and compliance.
• CargoWise (WiseTech Global)coreTechnology or IntegrationWestern Overseas uses CargoWise NEO as their primary web-based shipment tracking and logistics platform. The platform provides real-time shipment tracking, document visibility, centralized messaging, and customizable dashboards for integrated supply chain management.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AIT Worldwide Logistics: US-headquartered mid-market forwarder offering air, ocean, and land freight forwarding plus customs brokerage and warehousing. Closely comparable in scale, service mix, and enterprise-customer orientation to Western Overseas.
• Crane Worldwide Logistics: Mid-market global forwarder with US presence providing air/ocean freight, customs brokerage, and supply chain solutions. Similar size and customer mix, competing head-to-head on US import lanes and customs work.
• Hellmann Worldwide Logistics: Germany-headquartered global forwarder with strong US operations offering air, ocean, road, and customs services. Competes with Western Overseas on US import/export lanes and serves similar enterprise customers in regulated verticals.

Broad incumbents

• Expeditors International: Large US-listed global forwarder with deep ocean/air freight forwarding capabilities. A scaled incumbent competitor that Western Overseas bumps up against on enterprise and customs brokerage business, though operating at materially greater scale.
• Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with comprehensive air, ocean, road, and contract logistics offerings. Competes with Western Overseas on enterprise RFPs and is the benchmark scaled player in the same service categories.
• DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding arm of DHL Group, offering air, ocean, road, customs, and supply chain services. Competes for the same enterprise shippers in pharma, automotive, and consumer goods that Western Overseas serves.
• C.H. Robinson: Large US-based logistics provider with global forwarding and customs brokerage capabilities. Competes with Western Overseas on North American import flows, customs clearance, and managed transportation for enterprise shippers.
• Yusen Logistics: Japan-based global forwarder with US presence offering air/ocean freight forwarding, contract logistics, and customs services. Overlaps with Western Overseas on US import flows and Asia–US trade lanes (relevant given Western Overseas' Hong Kong office).
• DSV A/S: Denmark-based global forwarder with major US operations following recent acquisitions. Competes directly with Western Overseas on air, ocean, and road forwarding as well as customs brokerage, and has been actively consolidating mid-market forwarders.

Emerging players

• Flexport: Digital-native freight forwarder offering tech-enabled ocean, air, and trucking services. Represents the disruptive threat to traditional mid-market forwarders like Western Overseas by automating quoting, booking, and documentation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/149614

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Western Overseas Corporation