The Kuroshio, as the western boundary current of the North Pacific Ocean, communicates waters between China marginal seas and the open ocean, thus has vital impact on the carbon budgets in adjacent East China Sea Shelf area. The distributions and exchange processes of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC), Particulate Organic Carbon (POC), Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC) and Particulate Inorganic Carbon (PIC) between Kuroshio current and adjacent China Sea Shelf were reviewed. The Kuroshio entered the East China Sea Shelf area via eddies, intrusion and upwelling. In the study area, the distributions of DOC and POC were affected by biological activity, mixing of water masses and interaction at the seasediment interface. Both DOC and POC were higher in the coastal area than in the Kuroshio area, and had maximum values on the surface layer. DIC, controlled by the balance of carbonate system in seawater, was higher in coastal area and upwelling area, and had minimum value in the surface water. The concentration of PIC was low. In the exchange area off northeastern Taiwan, DOC, POC and DIC were exported from shelf area to the Kuroshio current. The net export values were 2 431×10⁹, 1 051×10⁹ and 21 733×10⁹ mol C/a, respectively. Offshore transportation of suspended particles from shelf area might export PIC to Kuroshio current (1 852×10⁹ mol C/a). In Luzon Strait, DOC, POC and PIC were exported to the Kuroshio waters from South China Sea shelf area. The net export fluxes were 2 652×10⁹, 1 009×10⁹ and 230×10⁹ mol C/a, respectively. DIC had a year-round net flux export from Kuroshio to South China Sea Shelf (13 005×10⁹ mol C/a). Carbon cycling in Taiwan Strait was influenced by Kuroshio waters, but the way and extent of the influence was inconclusive. Several important questions remain to be answered before more accurate conclusions are made.