Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd add China–Tangier Med service but drop two port calls
Shipping giants Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have announced a major overhaul of their routes between Asia and Europe. From November, Tanger Med will welcome a new shipping service linking China and Morocco, but will lose two port calls on other routes.
A new giant container ship is expected on the route between China and Tanger Med. The Maersk Edirne, which can carry 13 100 containers, is due to launch the AE18 service on November 22, known as SE5 at Hapag-Lloyd. Its route will link Shanghai, Xiamen and the Malaysian port of Tanjung Pelepas with Algeciras and Tanger Med, via the Suez Canal.
On Bladi.net : Maersk shifts to Morocco: Tanger-Med gains as Europe gets costly
The new service is part of the reorganization announced by the two shipping companies on Monday, October 19. According to Maersk’s official statement, it will consolidate at Tanger and Algeciras connections currently handled by several other services. The companies aim in particular to strengthen trade between Asia, West Africa and the east coast of Latin America.
But the Moroccan port is simultaneously losing its place on two routes. On the AE2 service, which links Asia to Northern Europe, ships from Ningbo and Shanghai will now make their first European call at Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, instead of Tanger.
Two port calls dropped in favor of Rotterdam and Port Said
The second change concerns the AE11 service, which links Asia to the Mediterranean. Westbound container ships will drop their call at Tanger Med in favor of the Egyptian port of Port Said. A new stop is also planned at Salalah, in the Sultanate of Oman.
These changes will be phased in from mid-November. The Moscow Maersk is due to leave Ningbo on November 15 on the revamped AE2 service, followed by the Estelle Maersk, departing Shanghai on November 17 on AE11.
The changes come as major shipping companies gradually return to the Suez Canal. According to The Loadstar, Hapag-Lloyd chief executive Rolf Habben Jansen expects almost all of the company’s network services to return to the Suez route during the first quarter of 2027, if current conditions hold.
On Bladi.net : Tanger Med Port: Morocco Challenges Rotterdam and Antwerp in Container Traffic
The new network also includes adjustments to the AE19 service, with Shanghai replaced by Nansha and a call added at Damietta, Egypt. According to the detailed routes published by Hapag-Lloyd, this service will retain two consecutive calls at Tanger Med terminals before heading back toward Port Said and Asia.
