The Singapore-listed liner shipping company Samudera Shipping Line is strengthening its presence in Japan.
Its subsidiary Samudera Japan has founded a joint venture with Imoto Corporation from the Imoto Lines Group, which will focus on shipping activities in the Japanese market in future. The company, named Blue Ocean Shipping, will be headquartered in Kobe, Japan. Operations are scheduled to start in the first half of 2026.
Samudera Japan and Imoto Corporation will each hold 51% and 49% of the shares in Blue Ocean Shipping respectively. Imoto Corporation was founded in 1973 and is a Japanese shipping company specializing in coastal and domestic ocean shipping. The company is part of the Imoto Lines Group.
According to a statement from Samudera, the new company will commence operations with the acquisition of two container ships from the Imoto Lines Group fleet. The company also states that it intends to expand its fleet “prudently” over time in order to take advantage of “suitable opportunities” in the coastal and regional shipping services sector in Japan.
