HMM yesterday launched the first service related to its hub-and-spoke strategy in Africa.
South Korea’s flagship line’s MA2 (Mediterranean-Africa) service connects Spain and West Africa, using five feeder ships between Algeciras, where HMM has a terminal, with Tangier, Dakar, Tema, Leki, and Abidjan.
The hub-and-spoke strategy involves large vessels serving as hubs for ocean routes, while feeder ships connect the network (spokes) to enhance services.
HMM’s spokesperson told The Loadstar MA2 was intended to enhance the on-time performance of its ultra-large vessels on the Far East-India-Mediterranean lane by separating calls to congested West African ports.
She said: “To strengthen our hub and spoke strategy, HMM plans to continuously expand our larger vessel-feeder connection services, focusing on major global hub ports.”
By separating the highly congested West African port segments, it improves the punctuality of large vessels and allows for the flexible adjustment of ports of call within the feeder network, she added.
Long-term investments in West African deepwater ports, such as the Lome Container Terminal in Togo, have enabled a hub-and-spoke model. This allows carriers to serve the entire region efficiently from a central point, lowering logistics costs, said the carrier.
After former LX Pantos head Choi Won-hyuk became HMM’s CEO last year, HMM has been boosting its competitiveness by expanding networks between ocean and coastal waters and enhancing connectivity with its own terminals.
Since 2025, HMM has acquired 27 feeder ships, including 22 newbuildings.
MB Shipbrokers noted that West Africa’s containerised imports had increased significantly, rising by 15% in Q1 26, compared with the same period in 2025. In March, imports increased 8% year on year. West Africa has experienced strong import growth in recent years, with volumes increasing 47% last year, compared with pre-Covid levels, and 22% up on 2024.
The surge in West Africa’s containerised imports is being driven by Chinese exports to a region with growing consumption, facilitated by a massive transformation of its shipping infrastructure and global trade routes.
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