On Saturday, May 16, the Port of New York and New Jersey welcomed the MV Hyundai Hope at GCT Bayonne – marking the return of the ocean carrier formerly known as Hyundai Merchant Marine but now branded as HMM, after a three-year hiatus. The celebratory occasion was commemorated through a plaque presentation made by Rado Saragih, Manager, Maritime Industry Relations at The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Hyundai Hope, a 13,154 TEU vessel, under the command of Captain LEE, SHO RYONG – represents another significant development as HMM officially became the fourth member of THE Alliance (THEA). Originally formed in 2016, other members of THEA include Hapag-Lloyd, Ocean Network Express and Yang Ming. Jay Y.Lee, CEO of HMM, spoke to the newly minted partnership, “as part of HMM joining THE Alliance, HMM remains committed to evolving and expanding alongside our customers and partners. We are excited to grow and look forward to new opportunities.”

With this expansion, THEA’s EC2 service will now call at GCT Bayonne weekly with vessel sizes of 13,000 TEU or larger. With the EC2 upgrade, GCT Bayonne now accommodates three vessel calls per week of vessels over 13,000 TEU.

“As the largest port on the East Coast, the Port of New York and New Jersey is excited to welcome new ships and shipping lines as they build their networks through the Port. Through collaboration with our world-class terminal operators, the Port continues to grow and expand its global reach,” said Sam Ruda, Port Director of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.