Compagnie Maritime D'Affretement (CMA), a Marseilles-based liner company, is to upgrade its services to North Africa with the launch of a new West Mediterranean/Algeria service.
CMA will launch the service in partnership with another Marseilles shipping company, Sudcargos.
CMA chairman Jacques Saade said: 'The expansion of the company's services is the start of an entirely new approach to North Africa.' Improvements would be announced for services to Tunisia, Libya and Morocco.
The line said this was part of a long-term strategy to strengthen its position in the region, particularly in Algeria. CMA has established a new company in the country known as CMA Algeria.
M/V Delphin started its weekly rotation from Marseilles-Fos on Monday, calling at Valencia and Barcelona on alternate weeks, then Oran and Algiers and back to Fos.