Asia Pacific · Hong Kong

Ship Chandler Software for
Hong Kong

Ship chandlers at Port of Hong Kong use Tidal to turn RFQ emails into priced quotes in under 30 minutes, matched to their own catalogue and margin rules. Send us one real RFQ and we will quote it with you on a 30 minute call.

Built for ship chandlers and marine suppliers who quote vessels calling at Hong Kong
One AI-native ERP for RFQs, quotes, purchase orders, invoices and stock, matched to your own catalogue and margin rules
You approve every line before the quote goes out. Live in about a week, no IT team needed

See how it works Is Tidal right for you?

Get a live demo on one of your own RFQs

Leave your work email and company. We reply within one business day to set up 30 minutes, then quote a real RFQ from Hong Kong with you.

Looking for a ship chandler in Hong Kong, or selling to us? Read this first.

Is this for you?

Software for the chandlers who supply Hong Kong, not a chandler

Tidal is quoting software. Ship chandlers and marine suppliers use it to answer buyer RFQs faster. We do not supply vessels ourselves.

A good fit if you

Run a chandlery or marine supply business serving vessels at Hong Kong
Retype buyer RFQs into spreadsheets or your ERP before you can price them
Lose orders because a faster supplier answered first
Want consistent prices and margins on every quote, whoever prepares it

Not the right page if you

Need provisions or stores delivered to a vessel. Tidal does not supply ships, please contact a local chandler or your ship agent.
Want to sell products or services to Tidal. The demo form is for chandlers and suppliers looking at the software.
Are looking for a job. Please see the Agility careers page.

How it works

From buyer RFQ to priced quote, on your own catalogue

What changes for a Hong Kong chandler on the first day with Tidal.

1
RFQ arrives
By email, PDF, Excel or a portal export. Tidal reads every line, including vague descriptions and missing codes.
2
Lines matched
Each line is matched to your own catalogue and item codes, with unclear lines flagged for your team.
3
Priced your way
Your supplier prices, client tiers and margin rules are applied. You review and approve every line.
4
Quote goes out
Send the quote, turn it into a sales order, then check supplier invoices against it when they arrive.

See it working

A real quote, priced line by line

Quote Desk

Turns buyer RFQs into priced quotes and sales orders from your own catalogue and supplier prices.

See Quote Desk

Invoice Capture

Reads supplier invoices from a photo or PDF and checks them against the order before they reach your accounts.

See Invoice Capture

Meet us at IMPA Singapore

Stand SUZ 4, Suntec, 24 to 25 November 2026. Bring an RFQ and see it priced.

Plan your visit

Busy harbour in Hong Kong — Photo: Unknown (CC0)

Hong Kong and its port

A free port and shipping centre where owners, managers and suppliers work side by side

Hong Kong has been a free port since the British took it in 1841, and shipping has been central to its economy ever since. Its ship registry is one of the largest in the world, and many shipowners, ship managers, brokers and insurers have offices in the city. The Kwai Tsing container terminals handle ships on short calls, while other vessels anchor in the harbour and western waters.

For a ship supplier, Hong Kong means two types of buyer: ships calling at the port or anchorage, and ship managers in the city buying for fleets that may never come near Hong Kong. Both expect fast, professional quotes. Competition from suppliers in Shenzhen and the wider Pearl River Delta is strong, so speed and accuracy matter as much as price.

Time zone: HKT, UTC+8 (no daylight saving)
Business languages: Cantonese, English and Mandarin
Working week: Monday to Friday
TEU a year: 18M+
vessel calls/year: 200,000+

Business culture

Business in Hong Kong is fast and professional. Cantonese and English are both used, and Mandarin is increasingly common with mainland partners. Relationships matter, but buyers expect quick, clear written answers. WhatsApp and WeChat are widely used for daily contact, with email for formal quotes. Lunar New Year, Ching Ming and the Mid Autumn Festival all affect working days and response times.

Port and maritime heritage

British forces occupied Hong Kong Island in 1841, and China ceded it in the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. Kowloon and the New Territories were added later. The harbour grew as an entrepot for trade with China. The first container berths opened at Kwai Chung in the early 1970s. Sovereignty returned to China in 1997, and the city kept its own port and shipping system.

Local market

Container ships dominate the port, alongside bulk carriers, tankers and ships at anchor. Ship managers in Hong Kong buy for vessels worldwide, often through procurement platforms. Buyers expect quick, accurate quotes, competitive prices, clear delivery times and professional paperwork. Suppliers who respond in hours rather than days are far more likely to be shortlisted for regular work.

Working with us from Hong Kong

Working with us from Hong Kong begins with a remote 30 minute demo on one of your own RFQs. We set Tidal up on your catalogue and margin rules, no IT team needed, and you are usually live in about a week. Hong Kong is 2 hours 30 minutes ahead of India, so our team overlaps with your afternoon, from about 12:00 to 18:00.

FAQ

Common questions from Hong Kong ship chandlers

How does Tidal help Hong Kong chandlers respond faster than competitors?

Hong Kong's chandling market operates on thin margins and fast turnarounds, vessel operators frequently choose the chandler who responds first with an accurate quote, not necessarily the cheapest. Tidal eliminates the 2-3 day manual RFQ processing window entirely. From the moment an RFQ arrives in your inbox, the AI extracts every line item, matches your own catalogue codes at 90%+ accuracy, applies your margin rules, and generates a complete quote in under 30 minutes. Your team reviews and sends it. The entire cycle, from incoming email to sent quote, takes less time than a competitor's team spends reading the original RFQ.

Can Tidal handle both English and Chinese RFQs from Hong Kong operators?

Yes. Tidal's extraction engine processes RFQs in any format and language, including Chinese language documents, bilingual RFQs, and PDFs with mixed formats. The AI interprets item descriptions semantically and maps them to your own catalogue, which are standard international identifiers that apply regardless of how the item was originally described. For Hong Kong chandlers serving mainland Chinese fleet operators as well as international shipping companies, this removes the translation and reformatting step that currently adds hours to the RFQ process.

What happens to RFQs that arrive during Hong Kong holiday periods?

Tidal processes RFQs automatically around the clock, including during Hong Kong public holidays, Golden Week, and Lunar New Year periods when competing chandlers' offices are closed or understaffed. Vessel schedules do not pause for holidays, and RFQs continue to arrive regardless of the calendar. With Tidal, your operation responds to every RFQ that arrives, at any time, with the same speed and accuracy as a normal business day. This is particularly valuable for transpacific container vessel calls that arrive according to fixed port rotation schedules regardless of local holiday periods.

Ship Chandler Software forHong Kong