HMM expands global reach with new India-East Africa route

HMM, South Korea's leading container shipping firm, announced plans to launch a new container service connecting India and East Africa in September. The Gulf-India-East Africa route will utilize Indian ports of Nhava Sheva and Mundra as hubs to link with East African destinations, according to HMM. This marks the second African feeder network for HMM under its "hub and spoke" strategy, which aims to expand its container division's global reach.

The inaugural voyage will depart from Nhava Sheva in late September, with five 2,800-TEU container ships operating the route. Port calls will follow the sequence of Nhava Sheva (India), Mundra (India), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), and Mombasa (Kenya). HMM will collaborate with China's COSCO Shipping, Singapore's PIL, and Taiwan's Interasia Lines for this service, with potential future expansion to the Gulf region.

This new route complements HMM's existing MA2 service connecting North and West Africa via Algeciras, Spain, laying groundwork for further African market expansion. Kenya and Tanzania, the newly added ports, are considered key gateway ports in East Africa, where ongoing port and inland logistics development will enhance service convenience for shipper clients.

HMM emphasizes that its hub-and-spoke approach, combining large global vessels with regional feeder networks, builds a more robust and adaptable network to meet evolving shipping demands. The company's strategy aims to strengthen its customer service competitiveness and further solidify its position in the global shipping industry.

HMM intends to further grow its container fleet to 1.47 million TEU across 166 vessels by 2030 as part of its upgraded mid- to long-term strategy.