South Korean carrier HMM has announced the launch of its new Mediterranean–West Africa (MA2) service, set to commence operations in July 2026. The move marks a strategic expansion aimed at strengthening connectivity between major East–West trade lanes and the fast-growing West African market.
The MA2 service will be operated in partnership with Ocean Network Express (ONE), with a fleet of five container vessels of approximately 2,800 TEU capacity deployed on the route.
Positioning Algeciras as its primary hub, the service is designed to enhance HMM’s hub-and-spoke network by providing seamless cargo movement between the Mediterranean and key West African ports.
The rotation for the MA2 service will include:
Algeciras – Tangier – Dakar – Tema – Lekki – Abidjan – Algeciras, with a total round-trip duration of approximately 35 days.
The first sailing is scheduled to depart from Algeciras in July, marking HMM’s continued focus on expanding its footprint in emerging markets and improving service reliability across strategic trade corridors.
This initiative reflects the growing importance of West Africa in global trade, as shipping lines increasingly invest in regional connectivity to capture rising cargo volumes and support economic development in the region.