China National Corporation for Building Materials Exportation (the predecessor of CCOEC) was founded in 1965 with the approval of the State Council, whereby the main task of the Corporation was defined as: undertaking the exportation of building materials apart from that of the metallurgy, transportation, and railway sectors.

In 1971, “The Distribution Plant for Materials and Equipments Exportation” changed its name to The Materials and Equipments Exportation Corporation of the National Construction Committee, with the approval of the National Construction Committee of the Communist Party of China.

With the demand of foreign aid increasing substantially, The Materials and Equipments Exportation Corporation of the National Construction Committee was renamed China National Corporation for Building Materials and Equipments Exportation in 1973, upon decision by the National Infrastructure Committee of China and Ministry of Economic Relations with Foreign Countries.

In 1991,Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation approved the Corporation to be renamed China National Corporation for Building Materials and Equipments Exportation.

In 1993, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation approved China National Corporation for Building Materials and Equipments Exportation to change its name to China National Corporation for Overseas Economic Cooperation, with its scope of business remain unchanged.

In 1998, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation set up China General Technology (Group) Holding, Ltd. China National Corporation for Overseas Economic Cooperation was one of the four subsidiary companies that were most early established. Moreover, CCOEC is a wholly owned subsidiary of China General Technology (Group) Holding, Ltd.