Evergreen Marine Corporation is a Taiwanese container transportation and shipping company that is headquartered in Luzhu District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. With over 150 container ships, it is part of the Evergreen Group conglomerate of transportation firms and associated companies.

Overview

Evergreen calls on 240 ports worldwide in about 80 countries, and is the sixth largest company in the shipping industry. Its principal trading routes are East Asia to North America, Central America and the Caribbean; East Asia to the Mediterranean and northern Europe; Europe to the east coast of North America; East Asia to Australia; East Asia to eastern and southern Africa; East Asia to South America; and an intra Asia service linking ports in East Asia to the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. The company's activities include: shipping, construction of containers and ships, management of ports, engineering and real estate development. Subsidiaries and divisions include Uniglory Marine Corp. (Taiwan), Evergreen UK Ltd. (UK), and shipping company Italia Marittima S.p.A. (Italy). In 2007, Hatsu, Italia Marittima, and Evergreen were merged into the single "Evergreen Line." The majority of Evergreen's shipping containers are painted green with the word "Evergreen" placed on the sides in white letters. Uniglory containers are similarly painted and marked, but those containers are bright orange. Evergreen's refrigerated "reefer" containers have a reverse color scheme (white containers with green lettering).

History

The company was founded 1 September 1968 by Yung-Fa Chang. Services began with a single cargo vessel named Central Trust, which operated a "go-anywhere" service. A second vessel was added in 1969, and used on Middle East services. Additional vessels were acquired through the 1970s, and routes to East Asia and Central America were added. Service to the U.S. began in 1974, with the establishment of Evergreen Marine Corporation (New York) Ltd. In 1981, the parent company changed its name to Evergreen International S.A. (EIS), as the company increased its global expansion efforts. Evergreen Marine began its first circumnavigation shipping services in 1984. This service is bi-directional, covering both westbound and eastbound routings. In 1992, almost 29,000 rubber ducks called "Friendly Floatees" were unintentionally dumped into the Pacific Ocean from a container lost overboard by the Evergreen ship Ever Laurel. Since then, Evergreen Marine has expanded to include other shipping companies such as the Uniglory Marine Corp. (Taiwan) in 1984, the Hatsu Marine Ltd. (U.K.) in 2002, and the Italian shipping company Italia Marittima (previously Lloyd Triestino, and founded as "Österreichischer Lloyd" in 1835) in 1993. Uniglory was made a division of the company in 1999. Evergreen Marine has also become a partner of EVA Airways, founded in 1989, and Uni Air, founded in 1998. In 2002, Evergreen Marine operated 61 container vessels, with a total fleet size totaling 130 vessels with 400,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units). By 2008, Evergreen Marine operated 178 container vessels. In 2009, the company announced plans to build 100 additional vessels, in anticipation of a global economic recovery by 2012.

Accidents and incidents

Ever Summit

In January 2019, the Ever Summit crashed into a crane. There were no deaths or injuries.

Ever Luna

On December 14th 2014, the container ship Ever Luna collided with the oil tanker Cordelia Moon in Manzanillo, Mexico. There was 1 injured, 1 survivor, and no reported fatalities.

Ever Given

On 23 March 2021, the container ship Ever Given became stuck in the Suez Canal, leading to a significant impediment in marine shipping world-wide. After nearly a week, tugboats and heavy machinery managed to re-float and free the ship.

Ever Forward

On 13 March 2022, the container ship Ever Forward ran aground in the Chesapeake Bay, near Baltimore, Maryland. The ship left the dredged navigation channel and became stuck. On 31 March 2022, Evergreen declared General Average after two attempts to refloat the vessel had failed. Containers were removed from the ship to lighten the load, and dredging was also underway to allow the ship to be freed. On the morning of 17 April, coinciding with the rising tide, the vessel was finally refloated.

Operations

Evergreen Marine's operations primarily center around five general routings: The shipping line's busiest routings are in the first category, East Asia to North America and Central America. Within this area, common traffic is between Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and China with the U.S. West Coast, along with routings to the East Caribbean via Panama.

Terminals

Evergreen Marine operates four major transshipment hubs, and multiple container terminals.

Transshipment hubs

Terminals

Subsidiaries and divisions

Maritime lines

Since 2007, the following have been merged into the single Evergreen Line.

Service network

Evergreen Marine's worldwide service network is handled through the following agencies:

Fleet

Evergreen Marine (including Uniglory, Lloyd Triestino & Hatsu) operated 153 container ships with on 1 May 2005. In total, Evergreen Marine operated 178 container ships in 2008. The following are vessels transferred between Evergreen Marine and Uniglory Marine (Taiwanese or Panamanian flag) and subsidiaries: