HMM Launches New Maritime Route Connecting Mediterranean and West Africa from Algeciras

South Korean shipping company Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) will establish a container service with Algeciras as its central port starting in July.

Image of a container ship at the port of Algeciras.
IA

Image of a container ship at the port of Algeciras.

South Korean shipping company Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM) will inaugurate a new container transport service, the MA2, in the second week of July, connecting the Mediterranean with West Africa, using the Port of Algeciras as its main logistics hub.

This new service, named MA2, will leverage the strategic position of the Port of Algeciras as a key hub in the Mediterranean. Its objective is to optimize operational efficiency and consolidate the company's expansion in a region considered to have high economic potential. The route is part of HMM's radial network strategy, designed to strengthen connections from major logistics centers to emerging markets.
The MA2 will operate in cooperation with Ocean Network Express (ONE) and will feature a fleet of five container ships, each with a capacity of 2,800 TEU. The maiden voyage is scheduled to depart from Algeciras in the second week of July, with an estimated duration of 35 days to complete the circuit.
The service rotation will include calls at Algeciras, Tangier Med in Morocco, Dakar in Senegal, Tema in Ghana, Lekki in Nigeria, and Abidjan in Ivory Coast, before returning to Algeciras. This configuration aims to establish a direct link between trade flows from Europe and West Africa. According to the company, the MA2 will function as a strategic gateway, integrating HMM's main services with these emerging markets through a structure based on logistics centers and radial connections.
The announcement of this new route comes shortly after the visit of Won Hyok Choi, CEO of HMM, to the TTI Algeciras container terminal, underscoring the strategic importance of the Campo de Gibraltar enclave in the shipping company's expansion plans. In parallel, HMM has strengthened its global network with the addition of 24 feeder vessels in the last six months, including ten 2,800 TEU units and twelve vessels between 1,800 and 2,700 TEU, thereby consolidating its operational capacity for anticipated growth.