All africa articles – Page 7
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FeatureSouth Korea part 2: Widening the lens
Market analysis: an increase in regional manufacturing is changing South Korea’s export production while premium imports become more popular within its bordersWith a relatively small domestic market, South Korea’s automotive industry remains highly export focused. According to Tsukasa Watanabe, lead analyst for Asia Pacific at PwC Autofacts, the ratio of ...
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FeatureYusen and TPCA: Perfecting a partnership
Rachael Hogg talks to Michal Peter, managing director of Yusen Logistics (Czech), and Radek Vosta, general manager, production control at TPCA about the two companies’ long-standing partnershipHas the relationship between Yusen and TPCA changed over the years?Michal Peter (MP): We’ve worked together over ten years. After a decade of cost ...
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FeatureSpain could produce 4m cars a year with more efficient logistics
Spain’s car and truck makers’ association ANFAC is projecting that vehicle production in the country will hit 3m by 2017. At a recent presentation of its forecast and ‘3 Million Logistics’ initiative, attended by Spain’s minister for transport, Ana Pastor, the association said that with more efficient logistics in place, ...
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FeatureAvtoVAZ to launch assembly of Lada cars in Egypt
AvtoVAZ is launching production of Lada-badged cars in Egypt this year with local assembler Al Amal. The Russian carmaker will deliver 1,500 semi-knockdown (SKD) kits to the country in 2015, though the plant has capacity for annual production of 9,000 on one shift.“This year AvtoVAZ expects to deliver to Egypt ...
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FeatureMaintaining traction through efficiency in Brazil
Vehicle sales in Brazil have tumbled and industry players need to slash costs, even as carmakers continue to invest heavily. OEMs and LSPs are redrawing their supply chains, while staying optimisticAfter the boom, Brazil’s economy is stuttering. Real GDP growth is expected to drop 1% for 2015 and inflation is ...
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FeatureCutting out the paper trail
Digital information is faster, more accurate and more useful, so why is there still so much paper in the automotive supply chain?Almost all companies now have some kind of digital infrastructure underpinning their processes, but can any automotive logistics operations be said to be truly paperless?Perhaps the most notable recent ...
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FeatureRussia conference: Practical proposals for the long term
Discussions at this year’s Automotive Logistics Russia conference in Moscow moved across a range of subjects from the importance of survival and preparing for growth during a difficult economic slump to the importance of localisation and what needs to be done in terms of simplifying some of the more arcane ...
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FeatureDaimler Trucks increases export markets with shipments to Cambodia
Following Daimler’s announcement last month that it will be increasing the number of regions to which it exports trucks from its division in India, the company has confirmed that shipments of its Fuso truck are now being sent to Cambodia.“The first vehicles have been retailed and delivered to customers,” confirmed ...
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FeatureFord: Always returning to the drawing board
Anthony Coia looks at how consolidation and frequent reviews are helping Ford improve efficiency and keep costs low while dealing with the unpredictable challenges of global spare parts movementWith continued growing demand and competition for service parts around the world, improving export processes has become vital to the image and ...
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FeaturePSA invests in Morocco plant with a view to export
PSA Peugeot-Citroen has revealed plans to build a €557m ($645m) production plant in Morocco.The agreement, signed by Carlos Tavares, chairman, managing board, PSA Peugeot-Citroën, and Moulay Hafid Elalamy, the Kingdom of Morocco’s minister for industry, trade, investment and the digital economy, is to build a plant in the commune of ...
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FeatureClosing the gap in Africa
South Africa’s vehicle exports to the rest of the African continent, particularly on the west coast, continue to grow, presenting an opportunity for a variety of carriers who service the country’s main export hubs. However, despite the relative proximity of these markets to South African manufacturers, the logistics gap is ...
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FeatureRenault using shortsea from Vigo to export Spanish volumes
Renault is to make use of the Spanish north-western port of Vigo to dispatch finished vehicles built at its plants in Valladolid and Palencia to Nantes, on a ‘motorways of the sea’ route to western France. The carmaker intends to export around 30,000 units a year to France. However, this ...
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FeatureHöegh takes delivery of first New Horizon class car carrier
Höegh Autoliners has taken delivery of the first of six new post-panamax vessels, all of which will be delivered over the next 18 months. The first vessel has been named Höegh Target and will be able to carry 8,500 car equivalent units (CEUs) on a deck space of 71,400 sq.m. ...
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FeatureKia to hit 15m export milestone in June
This month South Korean carmaker Kia Motors expects to hit the milestone of exporting 15m vehicles from the country. It started exporting in 1975 when the first ten Brisa pick up trucks were sent to Qatar. Exports to overseas markets now account for 70% of domestic production, which in 2014 ...
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FeatureFord begins Mustang exports from US to Europe
Following the start of global Mustang exports from the US this year, which began in January to China, Ford has now started exports of the model to Europe.As with the initial China exports, volume numbers have begun modestly, with 575 units shipped from the Flat Rock assembly plant in Michigan ...
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FeatureGefco reports positive results for Algeria business
Gefco has reported that its subsidiary in Algeria, which was established last year, made a turnover of €5m ($5.8m) in 2014. Algeria is Africa’s second largest automotive market.Gefco Algeria has established two vehicle distribution centres in the country, at Mostaganem and Boufarik. The 5-hectare Boufarik facility, which is near the ...
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FeatureFVL conference: VW’s revival plan depends on reliable logistics
The Volkswagen Group’s aggressive plans for plant capacity expansion and new model launches in North America, on which it is pinning its hopes to reverse declining sales in the US, will test the carmaker’s logistics network and logistics providers, according to Jan Bures (pictured left), executive vice-president of aftersales and ...
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FeatureEC launches infringement proceedings against Germany over wage legislation
The European Commission (EC) has launched an infringement procedure against Germany in response to its extension of minimum wage legislation to international transport operators entering German territory. “[T]he application of German measures to transit and certain international transport operations can in the Commission's view not be justified, as it ...
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FeatureFord rings the changes at Valencia
Ford’s plant in Valencia, Spain has been transformed into one of its busiest and most complex supply chains globally, with five models across two assembly lines, and a global export distribution. Marcus Williams considers why Ford chose itThe consolidation of production at Almussafes, just outside Valencia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, ...
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FeatureVessel agreement to benefit parts shipments between Asia and South America
Maersk Line has recently signed a vessel sharing agreement with Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) for trade between Asia and the east coast of South America.Maersk said the trade lane was key for the transport of automobile parts and electronics and that the agreement would improve ...