Posted on May 11, 2026
Hapag-Lloyd is further strengthening its presence in West Africa with the opening of a new office in Cotonou, Benin. The office will open on May 20 and enable Hapag-Lloyd to serve customers in Benin even more directly through a dedicated local presence.
Benin is an increasingly important market within West Africa, supported by steady economic growth as well as ongoing investments in infrastructure and trade facilitation. The Port of Cotonou serves as a key gateway to the country and the wider hinterland, including neighbouring landlocked markets such as Niger and Burkina Faso. This positions Benin as an important logistics hub in the region.
Hapag-Lloyd has been serving customers in Benin through its regional network, with Cotonou playing a vital role in connecting West Africa to global trade lanes. The establishment of a dedicated local office marks the next step in further strengthening customer relationships, improving responsiveness, and providing tailored solutions aligned with local market needs.
“Opening our new office in Benin is an important step in strengthening our presence in West Africa,” said Jesper Kanstrup, Managing Director Sub-Region Africa at Hapag-Lloyd. “Benin plays an important role in our growth ambitions under Strategy 2030. With a dedicated local presence, we can be closer to our customers and partners while supporting the continued development of trade in the region.”
With its new office in Cotonou, Hapag-Lloyd reinforces its long-term commitment to quality and to serving customers throughout the region with reliable and efficient shipping solutions.
About Hapag-Lloyd
With a fleet of 301 modern container ships and a total transport capacity of 2.5 million TEU, Hapag-Lloyd is one of the world’s leading liner shipping companies. In the Liner Shipping segment, the Company has around 15,000 employees and 400 offices in 140 countries. Hapag-Lloyd has a container capacity of 3.7 million TEU – including one of the largest and most modern fleets of reefer containers. A total of 133 liner services worldwide ensure fast and reliable connections between more than 600 ports on all the continents. In the Terminal & Infrastructure segment, Hapag-Lloyd has equity stakes in 21 terminals in Europe, Latin America, the United States, India and North Africa. Around 3,000 employees are assigned to the Terminal & Infrastructure segment and provide complementary logistics services at selected locations in addition to the terminal activities.
