Germany's Hapag-Lloyd has launched a new shipping route between China and Tangier Mediterranean Port.

According to a report from Morocco's Barlmane website on October 20, German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd announced on October 19 that it will launch a new shipping route between China and Tangier Med Port starting from November. The route is named "Asia-Southern Europe 5" (SE5) by Hapag-Lloyd. As this route belongs to the joint network of the "Gemini Cooperation" between Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk, Maersk has numbered it AE18. The route will connect the Port of Shanghai, Port of Xiamen and Tangier Med Port, call at Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia, then pass through the Suez Canal and the Port of Algeciras in Spain. The port call sequence is: call at Algeciras first, then stop at Tangier Med Port, then return to Algeciras before sailing to Asia. The first vessel, *Maersk Edirne* (voyage 647W), is scheduled to arrive at Shanghai, the first port of call in its Asian segment, on November 22, 2026, and the date of its first arrival in Morocco has not yet been announced. This route features fast direct connections between central and southern China and major markets in the Western Mediterranean, and can be connected to the West African market via Tangier.

Source: Economic and Commercial Office of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Kingdom of Morocco