Sino Ocean
Sino Ocean is a Shenzhen-headquartered, NVOCC-licensed international freight forwarder offering ocean, air, bonded, and cross-border e-commerce logistics to Chinese exporters, importers, and trading companies via 10 domestic branches and a 1,000+ agent global network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersShenzhen, China
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Sino Ocean does
Sino Ocean (深圳市华海通运国际货运) is a Shenzhen-headquartered, privately held international freight forwarding company founded in 1999. It operates as a licensed Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC, MOC-NV02462) and member of the China International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFA), delivering multimodal logistics services across ocean shipping, air freight, bonded logistics, supply chain management, special container handling, and cross-border e-commerce logistics (notably Amazon FBA). The company serves import/export trading companies, cross-border e-commerce sellers, foreign suppliers, and domestic processing trade factories, with named anchor customers including OOCL (a 20-year strategic partner on Asia-Europe routes) and Amazon FBA shippers in the USA, UK, and Europe.
The company's service platform is built around six core product lines: ocean freight forwarding (import/export cargo, customs clearance, commodity inspection, dangerous goods, warehousing, and door-to-door multimodal transport); air freight (international air cargo leveraging integrated Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong airport operations); bonded logistics and customs brokerage; supply chain management acting as an integrator of procurement, distribution, inventory, and transportation; specialized containers (reefer, open-top, flat rack, tank, livestock, car, and garment-hanging); and cross-border e-commerce logistics covering FBA sea/air/land transport, overseas warehousing, and DDP delivery. Distribution is delivered through 10 wholly owned branch offices across major Chinese ports (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhongshan, Ningbo, Shekou, Shanghai, Qingdao, Zhuhai), a fleet of 100+ container trucks, and an overseas agent network of 1,000+ partners coordinated through World Cargo Alliance (WCA, ID 58316) membership, reaching all major ports globally and handling 10,000+ TEUs per month.
Sino Ocean makes money primarily through transaction-based freight forwarding fees on sea and air shipments, supplemented by professional-services fees for customs brokerage, bonded logistics, and supply chain management, all priced on a quote-by-quote basis with no publicly disclosed rate cards. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales targeting overseas customers, domestic factories, and trading companies with channel sales through WCA's worldwide agent network and direct-to-consumer fulfillment for cross-border e-commerce sellers. The company is founder-led (Chairman Fang Zong, General Manager Cheng Zong), has grown from 3 employees in 1999 to 600+ today, and has steadily expanded its domestic branch network — most recently opening Qingdao and Zhuhai offices and relocating its Shenzhen headquarters in 2024.
Sino Ocean firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sino Ocean
- Legal name
- 深圳市华海通运国际货运代理有限公司
- Website
- https://sinooceancn.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Sino Ocean is a Shenzhen-headquartered, NVOCC-licensed international freight forwarder offering ocean, air, bonded, and cross-border e-commerce logistics to Chinese exporters, importers, and trading companies via 10 domestic branches and a 1,000+ agent global network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sino Ocean industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Freight Forwarding Services
- NAICS
- Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510)
- SIC
- Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- NVOCC Operations & Ocean Consolidation (TLACABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) Ocean Consolidation (LCL) (TLACALAA), Ocean Export Forwarding (Booking/VGM/SI/BL) (TLACABAF), Ocean Import Forwarding (Destination Handling/DO/ISF) (TLACABAE), Cross-Border E-commerce Ocean Forwarding (DDP/DDU) (TLACABAK), Customs Brokerage for Ocean Shipments (Import/Export Clearance) (TLACABAG)
Keywords
Where Sino Ocean is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Shenzhen
- HQ country
- China
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices9 records
Markets served
Sino Ocean business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Sea Freight Services: Ocean freight forwarding including import and export cargo transportation, customs clearance, commodity inspection, dangerous goods declaration, storage, ground transportation, container multimodal transport and door-to-door services.
- Air Freight Services: International air cargo and express delivery services leveraging Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong airports with global route coverage.
- Supply Chain Management: Supply chain optimization services including procurement, distribution, inventory control, and logistics management for global marketplace solutions.
- Cross-border E-commerce Logistics: Amazon FBA transportation, door-to-door services, overseas warehousing, one-stop delivery for cross-border e-commerce.
- Bonded Logistics: Customs clearance brokerage services helping foreign suppliers and domestic trading factories reduce operational costs.
- Special Container Services: Specialized containers including reefer (refrigerated), open-top, flat rack, livestock, tank, car, and garment containers for various cargo requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Customized freight forwarding rates |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Sino Ocean product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sino Ocean is an international freight forwarding company that provides end-to-end logistics services including ocean shipping (import/export cargo, customs clearance, multimodal transport), air freight, bonded logistics, supply chain management, special container services, and cross-border e-commerce logistics. Operating as a licensed NVOCC with a global network of 1,000+ overseas agents, the company handles approximately 10,000 TEUs per month for import/export trading companies, manufacturers, and e-commerce sellers across major trade lanes.
Product overview
Sino Ocean is a freight forwarding company offering integrated logistics services across ocean shipping, air freight, bonded logistics, and supply chain management. The core product portfolio consists of ocean shipping services (import/export cargo transportation, customs clearance, multimodal transport), air freight services (international air cargo and express delivery), bonded logistics services (customs clearing brokerage), supply chain management (integrated logistics solutions), special container services (refrigerated, open-top, tank containers), and cross-border e-commerce logistics (Amazon FBA, DDP services). The company operates as a NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) with a global network of over 1,000 overseas agent partners and monthly volume of 10,000 TEUs worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Ocean Shipping (海运) Freight forwarding services for import/export cargo including customs clearance, inspection, dangerous goods declaration, warehousing, and ground transportation. Provides full-service import distribution and export consolidation, container and heavy equipment multimodal transport, and door-to-door services.
- Air Freight (空运) International air cargo and express delivery services leveraging integrated advantages of Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong airports, with routes covering the globe.
- Bonded Logistics (保税物流) Customs clearing broker services for bonded logistics, including brokerage, inspection, documentation, and final clearance according to legal procedures. Helps foreign suppliers and domestic trading/processing factories reduce operating costs and improve international competitiveness.
- Supply Chain Management (供应链管理) Integrated logistics services beyond transportation and distribution, acting as an integrator of material and transportation management services and information to provide best solutions for clients.
- Special Container Services (特种柜) Special container services including refrigerated containers (RF), open-top containers (OT), platform-based containers, pen containers for livestock, tank containers (TK) for liquids, car containers, and garment hanging containers.
- Cross-border E-commerce Logistics (跨境电商物流) Amazon FBA transportation services with first-hand door-to-door integrated logistics. Services include USA, UK, Europe international special lines, small packages, FBA sea/air/land transportation, customs clearance, overseas warehousing, one-stop delivery, and DDP to door.
Quantifiable outcome
- Monthly delivery volume of 10,000+ TEUs worldwide
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sino Ocean
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Sino Ocean technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Sino Ocean partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- World Cargo Alliance (WCA)coreActive member of World Cargo Alliance (ID 58316), providing access to worldwide agent network covering all major ports globally. Enables seamless international freight forwarding services through network partnerships.
- China International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFA)coreMember of CIFA, the national association for freight forwarding industry in China, providing industry recognition and networking opportunities.
- OOCL (Orient Overseas Container Line)core20-year strategic partnership as core customer and key Asia route customer. Visited OOCL Hong Kong office and 'OOC Hong Kong' vessel (21,413 TEU capacity), one of the world's largest container ships. Partnership covers Asia-Europe LL1 route service.
- Multiple Shipping CompaniescoreEstablished good and strategic partnerships with many shipping companies, obtaining unique advantages on shipping routes of Middle East, India/Pakistan, Red Sea, Southeast Asia, North America, Europe, Mediterranean, Black Sea, Central and South America.
- Major Airlines (China and Overseas)coreEstablished good cooperation with well-known airlines of China and overseas, enabling strong air cargo operations covering airports in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
- 1,000+ Overseas Agent CompaniesmajorEstablished partnerships with over 1,000 overseas agent companies covering major ports worldwide for comprehensive global service network.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sino Ocean competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Yusen Logistics: Asia-Pacific focused global forwarder with significant China operations covering ocean, air, contract logistics, and supply chain management. Closely matches Sino Ocean's multi-modal service portfolio and cross-border China trade flow focus.
- Kerry Logistics Network: Hong Kong-headquartered Asia-based freight forwarder and logistics integrator with strong China presence. Comparable in offering integrated ocean/air forwarding, customs brokerage, and contract logistics across Asia-to-global trade lanes.
- Sinotrans Limited: China's largest state-owned freight forwarder and logistics provider with deep ocean, air, and contract logistics capabilities across domestic and international routes. Directly comparable to Sino Ocean in core NVOCC, customs brokerage, and freight forwarding services, though at much greater scale and with SOE backing.
Broad incumbents
- CEVA Logistics: French-headquartered global forwarder and contract logistics provider, now majority-owned by CMA CGM. Comparable offering in ocean/air forwarding, customs, contract logistics, and Asia export consolidation.
- Kuehne+Nagel: One of the world's largest freight forwarders with extensive China network and full ocean, air, road, and contract logistics offerings. Competes with Sino Ocean for large enterprise import/export customers and global lane coverage.
- DB Schenker: Global freight forwarder and contract logistics provider with strong Asia-Pacific operations. Overlaps with Sino Ocean in ocean/air forwarding, customs brokerage, and integrated supply chain solutions for global trade.
- DHL Global Forwarding: Global freight forwarding arm of Deutsche Post DHL, with substantial China presence in ocean, air, customs, and supply chain. Direct overlap with Sino Ocean's full-service forwarding and customs brokerage portfolio.
- Expeditors International: US-listed global freight forwarder with strong Asia Pacific operations and asset-light model similar to Sino Ocean. Overlaps in ocean/air forwarding, customs brokerage, and order management for Asia-exporting manufacturers and trading companies.
Emerging players
- Flexport: US-based digital-native freight forwarder with strong China-to-global ocean and air capabilities. Targets the same cross-border e-commerce and mid-market exporter customer base as Sino Ocean, but with a proprietary technology platform that traditional forwarders lack.
- J&T International (J&T Express cross-border arm): Asia-headquartered express and cross-border logistics provider rapidly expanding in China-to-global e-commerce logistics. Competes with Sino Ocean specifically in the cross-border e-commerce logistics and Amazon FBA seller segment, with growing ocean and air capabilities.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sino Ocean social profiles
Digital presenceSino Ocean compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Sino Ocean financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sino Ocean leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Sino Ocean subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Sino Ocean funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sino Ocean M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sino Ocean
What does Sino Ocean do?
Sino Ocean is an international freight forwarding company that provides end-to-end logistics services including ocean shipping (import/export cargo, customs clearance, multimodal transport), air freight, bonded logistics, supply chain management, special container services, and cross-border e-commerce logistics. Operating as a licensed NVOCC with a global network of 1,000+ overseas agents, the company handles approximately 10,000 TEUs per month for import/export trading companies, manufacturers, and e-commerce sellers across major trade lanes.
Is Sino Ocean a public or private company?
Sino Ocean is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sino Ocean founded?
Sino Ocean was founded in 1999. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Sino Ocean based?
Sino Ocean is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, in the Asia region.
How does Sino Ocean make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Sea Freight Services are the primary driver. The others are air Freight Services, supply Chain Management, cross-border E-commerce Logistics, bonded Logistics and special Container Services.
Who are Sino Ocean's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Yusen Logistics, Kerry Logistics Network and Sinotrans Limited. Broad incumbents are CEVA Logistics, Kuehne+Nagel, DB Schenker, DHL Global Forwarding and Expeditors International. Emerging players are Flexport and J&T International (J&T Express cross-border arm).
Does Sino Ocean have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sino Ocean.
What industry is Sino Ocean in?
Sino Ocean's product category is Freight Forwarding Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLACABAC, NVOCC Operations & Ocean Consolidation, with a secondary code of TLACALAA, NVOCC (Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier) Ocean Consolidation (LCL). Its NAICS code is 488510 and its SIC code is 4731.