Sierra Leone’s new national carrier, Sierra Leone Ocean Shipping Company (SLOSCo), is a mix of investments from China’s Zhejiang Xiehai Group and government-backed cargo reservations.
The deal gives the venture a major share of the country’s maritime trade, especially in transporting mineral exports and vital imports. The joint venture agreement approved by parliament in August gives 70% ownership to Zhejiang Xiehai Group and 30% to the Sierra Leone National Shipping Agency (SLNSA).
The company is headquartered in Freetown and is due to operate from shipping hubs in Shanghai and Geneva. One feature of the arrangement is a legal provision reserving 40% of the value of Sierra Leone’s import and export cargo for the national carrier.
If implemented as described, the reservation could give SLOSCo a substantial share of the country’s shipping market.
This could include outbound iron ore and bauxite, and inbound petroleum, grain, and other commodities. Another sign of the venture’s ambitions is its planned fleet. SLOSCo plans to build a fleet of 50 vessels, starting with an initial phase of acquiring 30 vessels.
The executive said how quickly it can translate its cargo reservation into a larger footprint in regional and international shipping will depend on how big and when those purchases are made, and on the company’s ability to find customers and operate the vessels commercially.
The launch ceremony highlighted Sierra Leone’s existing connection to Asian maritime routes. The backdrop for the event was the 176,298 deadweight tons Chinese-owned bulk carrier XH Explorer.
Built in 2003, the vessel was registered in Liberia. It is based in Singapore and sails between Sierra Leone and Asia. It highlighted how existing global shipping networks could support the new company’s operations. SLOSCo is also expected to use a direct route for shipping between Taizhou Port in China and Freetown’s Queen Elizabeth II Quay.
The route began in December 2025 and could form the basis of regular cargo links between the two countries. The company’s ability to benefit from the link will depend on its fleet, commercial agreements, and cargo availability.
The venture comes after changes to Sierra Leone’s maritime institutions and legal framework.
The Sierra Leone National Shipping Agency Act 2025 renamed the former Sierra Leone National Shipping Company the SLNSA and gave the agency a new mandate to participate in the joint venture. Parliament also passed the Revised Merchant Shipping Act 2026 and the Maritime Pollution Bill as part of a wider overhaul of the country’s shipping laws.
Majority-funded by Chinese private investment and reserving a portion of cargo for Sierra Leone’s national carrier, SLOSCo represents a major shift in the country’s approach to maritime trade.
Its long-term importance will depend not only on the proposed 50-vessel fleet, but also on how it handles the cargo reservation and whether it can reliably serve Sierra Leone’s exporters and importers.
