…Connecting New Production and Consumption Areas of Chilled Food by Low-carbon Transportation Services –

Hong Kong - Sumitomo Corporation (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and CEO: Masayuki Hyodo) and Orient Overseas Container Line Limited (Head Office: Hong Kong, President and CEO: Zhijian Yang; hereinafter "OOCL") are pleased to announce the signing of a business alliance agreement to provide refrigerated ocean transport that utilizes electric field technology and realizes the long-term preservation of freshness for a variety of commercial products.(hereinafter "the Service").

International transportation of perishable products, which must be preserved freshness, faces challenges to be transported in the shortest possible transit time in ocean transportation, and high cost burden in air transportation. In order to expand food supply areas and ensure a stable supply of products, it has been desired to develop a service that enables long-term ocean transportation utilizing refrigerated storage technology with minimal quality loss.

Taking advantage of the development of electric field containers conducted by MARS Company, Inc. (Head office: Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture/Sumitomo Corporation 8.53% investment), Sumitomo Corporation established an electric field container procurement system with the cooperation of Daiichi Institution Industry Co.,Ltd.(Head office: Kasuya-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture), which manufactures and sells electric field-related equipment, and OOCL. Additionally, Sumitomo Corporation also obtained patents (*2), including one for a "food transportation method" that lowers the non-freezing temperature of food products and improves the freshness retention effect by shrink packing the food products with a high degree of vacuum in an electric field environment.

Sumitomo Corporation and OOCL will continue to build a more environmentally friendly global logistics network through price-competitive, high-quality, low-carbon refrigerated maritime transportation by leveraging the strengths and business bases of both companies.