Shipping Line Histories

RETURN TO THE HOMEPAGE THE OCEAN LINERS

In this section we outline the history of some of the well known shipping lines from around the world. Here we also tell the story of the main shipping groups such as the P&O Group, Bibby Line Group, Swire Group, Alfred Holt's Ocean Steamship Company, Furness Withy Group, British & Commonwealth Shipping, Ellerman Group, Canadian Pacific, NYK Line Group, Mitsui OSK Line Group, HAPAG-LLOYD Group, CMA-CGM Group and Hamburg Sud Group.

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Atlantic Container Line (ACL) (Est. 1965)

(1965 - Present)

Overseas Containers Ltd (OCL) (Est. 1966)

(1966 - 1986)

Associated Container Transportation (ACT) (Est. 1968)

(1968 - 1991)

British Shipping Companies:

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Aberdeen & Commonwealth Line (Est. 1825)

(1825 - 1957)

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Alfred Holt & Co. (Blue Funnel Line) (Est. 1865)

(1865 - 1972)

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Anchor Line (Est. 1852)

(1852 - 1986)

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Andrew Weir & Co. (Bank Line) (Est. 1905)

(1905 - Present)

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Ben Line (Est. 1919)

(1919 - 1991)

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Bibby Line Group (Est. 1807)

(1807 - Present)

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Blue Star Line (Est. 1911)

(1911 - 1998)

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Booker Bros., MacConnell & Co. Ltd (Booker Line) (Est. 1900)

(1900 - Present)

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Booth Line (Est. 1866)

(1866 - 1975)

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British & Commonwealth Shipping Group (Est. 1956)
(1956 - 1990)

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British India Line (Est. 1862)

(1862 - 1971)

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Brocklebank Line (Est. 1801)

(1801 - 1970)

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Canadian Pacific Steamships (Est. 1884)

(1884 - 2006)

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Clan Line (Est. 1877)

(1877 - 1981)

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Cunard Line (Est. 1840)

(1840 - Present)

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Elder Dempster Lines (Est. 1852)

(1852 - 1989)

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Elder & Fyffes (Est. 1902)

(1902 - Present)

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Ellerman Group (Est. 1901)

(1901 - 2005)

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Furness Withy Group (Est. 1891)

(1891 - 1998)

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Harrison Line (Est. 1853)

(1853 - 2000)

Inchcape & Company Ltd (Inchcape Group) (Est. 1847)

(1847 - Present)

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Jardine Matheson & Co. (Jardine Matheson Group) (Est. 1832)

(1832 - Present)

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John Swire & Sons Ltd (Swire Group) (Est. 1816)

(1816 - Present)

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Lamport & Holt Line (Est. 1845)

(1845 - 1991)

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Manchester Liners Ltd (Est. 1897)

(1897 - 1988)

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New Zealand Shipping Company (New Zealand Line) (Est. 1873)

(1873 - 1973)

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Pacific Steam Navigation Co. (Est. 1839)

(1839 - 1984)

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Palm Line (United Africa Company) (Est. 1929)

(1929 - 1985)

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Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. (P&O) (Est. 1840)

(1840 - 2006)

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Port Line (Est. 1914)

(1914 - 1982)

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Ocean Steamship Company (Alfred Holt Group) (Est. 1866)

(1866 - 2000)

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Orient Steam Navigation Co. (Orient Line) (Est. 1878)

(1878 - 1966)

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Royal Mail Lines (Est. 1841)

(1841 - 1972)

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Shaw Savill & Albion Line (Est. 1882)

(1882 - 1985)

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Straits Steamship Company (Est. 1890)

(1890 - 1989)

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Union-Castle Line (Est. 1900)

(1900 - 1990)

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Union Steamship Company of New Zealand (Est. 1875)

(1875 - 2001)

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White Star Line (Est. 1869)

(1869 - 1958)

Belgium Shipping Companies:

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Compagnie Maritime Belge (Belgian Line) (Est. 1895)

(1895 - 2000)

Dutch Shipping Companies:

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Holland America Line (Est. 1873)

(1873 - Present)

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Nederland Line (Est. 1870)

(1870 - 1970)

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Royal Rotterdam Lloyd (Est. 1839)

(1839 - 1970)

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United Netherlands Navigation Co. (VNS) (Est. 1920)

(1920 - 1970)

French Shipping Companies:

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CGT French Line (Est. 1855)

(1855 - 1977)

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Messageries Maritimes (Est. 1851)

(1851 - 1977)

CMA - CGM Group (Est. 1977)

(1977 - Present)

Danish Shipping Companies:

East Asiatic Company (EAC) (Est. 1897)

(1897 - Present)

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A.P. Moller - Maersk Group (Est. 1904)

(1904 - Present)

German Shipping Companies:

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Hamburg America Line (HAPAG) (Est. 1847)

(1847 - 1970)

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Hamburg Sud Group (Est. 1871)

(1871 - Present)

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Norddeutscher Lloyd (NDL) (Est. 1857)

(1857 - 1970)

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Hapag - Lloyd Group (Est. 1970)

(1970 - Present)

Portuguese Shipping Companies:

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Empresa Insulana de Navegacao (Insulana Line) (Est. 1871)

(1871 - 1974)

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Companhia Colonial de Navagacao (Portuguese Line) (Est. 1922)

(1922 - 1974)

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Companhia Nacional de Navagacao (Nacional Line) Est. 1881)

(1881 - 1985)

Greek Shipping Companies:

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Chandris Lines (Est. 1914)

(1914 - Present)

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Greek Line (Est. 1939)

(1939 - 1975)

Italian Shipping Companies:

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Adriatica Line (Est. 1932)

(1932 - 2005)

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Costa Line (Est. 1854)

(1854 - Present)

Home Lines (Est. 1946)

(1946 - 1988)

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Italia Line (Est. 1932)

(1932 - 2005)

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Lauro Lines (Est. 1912)

(1912 - 1995)

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Lloyd Triestino (Est. 1833)

(1833 - Present)

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Sitmar Line (Est. 1952)

(1952 - 1989)

Norwegian Shipping Companies:

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Norwegian America Line (Est. 1910)

(1910 - 1995)

Swedish Shipping Companies:

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Swedish American Line (Est. 1914)

(1914 - 1975)

South African Shipping Companies:

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Safmarine (South African Marine Corporation Ltd) (Est. 1946)

(1946 - Present)

American Shipping Companies:

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American Export Lines (Est. 1919)

(1919 - 1978)

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American President Lines (Est. 1848)

(1848 - Present)

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Farrell Lines (Est. 1925)

(1925 - 2000)

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Grace Line (Est. 1882)

(1882 - 1970)

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Matson Navigation Co. (Matson Line) (Est. 1901)

(1901 - Present)

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Mississippi Shipping Co. (Delta Lines) (Est. 1919)

(1919 - 1985)

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Moore-McCormack Lines (Est. 1913)

(1913 - 1982)

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States Marine Lines (Est. 1930)

(1930 - 1982)

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United States Lines (Est. 1921)

(1921 - 1986)

Australian Shipping Companies:

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Adelaide Steamship Company (Est. 1875)

(1875 - 2006)

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Huddart Parker Ltd (Est. 1876)

(1876 - 1961)

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McIlwraith McEacharn Ltd (Est. 1875)

(1876 - 1993)

Japanese Shipping Companies:

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Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) (Est. 1885)

(1885 - Present)

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Osaka Shosen Kaisha (OSK Line) (Est. 1884)

(1884 - Present)