COSCO Shipping (China Ocean Shipping Company) is one of the world’s largest container carriers, operating an extensive global network with a strong focus on Asia-Europe, transpacific, and intra-Asia trade lanes. Learn how to track your COSCO container quickly and accurately.
About COSCO Shipping Lines
COSCO Shipping Lines is the container shipping division of the COSCO Shipping Group, a Chinese state-owned enterprise headquartered in Shanghai. COSCO operates over 400 container vessels with a combined capacity of approximately 3 million TEUs, making it one of the top 5 largest container carriers globally. COSCO is a member of the Ocean Alliance (alongside CMA CGM and Evergreen), giving it access to slot-sharing arrangements covering most major global trade lanes.
COSCO Container Number Prefixes
COSCO and its affiliated container operations use the following owner code prefixes:
- CBHU — COSCO Bulk Carrier (also used for container operations)
- CCLU — COSCO Container Lines
- CSGU — COSCO Shipping Group
- CSLU — COSCO Shipping Lines
- CSNU — COSCO Shipping
- VECU — COSCO Vessel Equipment
Step-by-Step: How to Track Your COSCO Container
- Via COSCO official website: Go to elines.coscoshipping.com/ebusiness/cargoTracking. Enter your container number, BL number, or booking number in the search field. Select the search type and click Search. The COSCO portal shows vessel name, current port status, and ETA.
- Via TraceContainer.com: Go to TraceContainer.com. Enter your COSCO container number (e.g., CSLU1234567) in the tracking search field. The platform returns COSCO tracking events, current vessel position, and ETA — no account needed.
- Via your freight forwarder: Your forwarder will have access to COSCO’s API-fed tracking and can provide detailed updates, particularly for LCL shipments where the forwarder’s HBL number is the primary reference.
- Via Ocean Alliance partners: If your COSCO-booked shipment is operating on a CMA CGM or Evergreen vessel (as part of the Ocean Alliance slot-sharing), the container may also be trackable on those carriers’ portals.
Understanding COSCO Tracking Status Events
- Empty Container Released: COSCO has released an empty container to the shipper for loading.
- Full Container Received: Loaded container has been returned to the COSCO terminal or depot.
- Loaded: Container has been loaded onto the vessel.
- Departure: Vessel has departed the port of loading.
- Arrival: Vessel has arrived at the next port (may be transshipment or final destination).
- Discharge: Container has been unloaded from the vessel at destination.
- Empty Returned: Empty container has been returned to the COSCO depot by the consignee.
Bottom Line
COSCO container tracking is available through the official COSCO portal and through TraceContainer.com. For the simplest tracking experience without a carrier login, enter your COSCO container number at TraceContainer.com for instant multi-carrier results including all major Ocean Alliance partner vessels.