It is a subsidiary of the Japanese railway holding company Kintetsu Group Holdings (近鉄グループホールディングス株式会社 Kintetsu gurūpu hōrudeingusu kabushiki gaisha) and provides air and sea freight forwarding, customs brokerage, and warehouse inventory management services.

The Hong Kong and United States subsidiaries were established in 1969, and Kintetsu World Express, Inc. spun off from KNT in 1970.

KWE experienced rapid expansion for the next 30 years, and adopted the Quadrilateral Management System with regional headquarters for Japan; The Americas; Europe & Africa; and Asia & Oceania.

The joint venture would provide express distribution and supply chain solutions[buzzword] across the Asia Pacific region and SAARC countries.

In 2015, Kintetsu World Express, Inc. acquired APL Logistics from Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) for US $1.2 billion.