Hapag-Lloyd is replacing a vessel on its Mediterranean–South America West Coast (MSW) service in September as part of an adjustment to the service’s vessel deployment. The CAPE CORFU, operating voyage 637S, will phase out at Tanger Med on September 16, 2026, and will be replaced by PUERTO LIMON EXPRESS, also on voyage 637S.
Under the revised arrangement, import cargo currently aboard CAPE CORFU will be discharged at Tanger Med and reloaded onto PUERTO LIMON EXPRESS. Hapag-Lloyd has advised customers affected by the vessel change that revised booking confirmations will be issued.
The replacement vessel is scheduled to call at Genoa on September 14 and Livorno on September 16, providing continuity for cargo moving through the Mediterranean portion of the MSW network. Customers have also been instructed to adjust their shipping documentation to reflect the revised vessel arrangements.
The MSW service connects Mediterranean gateways with ports on the West Coast of South America. Hapag-Lloyd recently revised the service rotation by adding Callao, Peru, as a direct call while removing Buenaventura, Colombia, from the direct rotation and serving it through transhipment.
The service currently provides weekly connectivity between major Mediterranean and South American ports, including Vigo, Málaga, Valencia, Genoa, Livorno, Barcelona, Caucedo, Cartagena, Callao, Paita, Posorja, Guayaquil, Manzanillo and Puerto Limón. The network is designed to support both dry and temperature-sensitive cargo flows between the regions.
The latest vessel replacement appears to be a schedule and deployment adjustment rather than a permanent change to the MSW service structure. For shippers, the key operational impact will be the transfer of affected import cargo at Tanger Med and the resulting changes to vessel and shipping documentation.