All Middle East articles – Page 4
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ArticleChina conference: preparing for the new and the old, for growth and decline
The 11th annual Automotive Logistics China conference was held for the first time in the south-western city of Chengdu, a symbol of the automotive industry’s westward development and the centre of the revival of the old ‘Silk Road’ trade routes emphasised by the government’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ policy. Christopher ...
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Article
Strike action hits XPO Logistics sites in France
Logistics employees affiliated with the French trade union CFDT are taking strike action at a number of XPO Logistics facilities across France. The strike, which started at a site in the Ile-de-France area last week, has since been extended to 20 of the company’s 75 supply chain locations in the ...
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Iran Khodro outlines export targets
Following the lifting of economic sanctions against Iran in January, the country’s main carmaker, Iran Khodro Industrial Group (IKCO), has said it intends to export 30,000 vehicles to international markets in the next 12 months.“IKCO has already picked up one or more vehicles as its main items to export to ...
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ArticleChina conference: New Silk Road gets back on the rails
Updated April 24th to correct a quote misattributed to GefcoLong-distance rail freight between China and Europe is coming on apace, delegates at this week’s Automotive Logistics China 2016 conference, held in Chengdu, have heard.Over the past few years, the Chinese government has been ambitious in promoting its 'One Belt, One ...
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Analysis: PSA ‘product blitz’ will put the focus on its supply chain
'Push to Pass' plan will involve the launch of 26 new cars by 2021 with more local manufacturing in some areasPSA Peugeot-Citroën has announced some big organisational changes recently, both in terms of its group divisions and its approach to customer trends, with some big consequences for its supply ...
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ArticleYanfeng Automotive Interiors opens second Czech plant
Yanfeng Automotive Interiors is setting up a new 20,000 sq.m interiors production plant in the Czech Republic.Construction of the new plant at Planá nad Luznici – which will produce car instrument panels and door panels, predominantly for Daimler – will begin in late May, a spokeswoman for the Chinese interiors ...
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ArticleChina-Europe rail: The road less travelled
The old Silk Road that connected China to Europe rose to significant prominence during the seventh and eighth centuries, when not only was silk moved from China but also spices, paper and noodles across Eurasia. The route has been disrupted and dismantled many times during the last millennium or more, ...
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ArticleDaimler invests €300m in Romania for automatic transmission production
Star Assembly, Daimler’s subsidiary in Romania, has started production of the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission at its facility in Sebes, following a €300m ($341m) investment in the expansion of its production capacity.Components are being fed to the Romanian plant for assembly from Heidelfingen, part of Daimler’s Untertürkheim plant in Germany, the ...
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ArticleFord continues to invest in South Africa
Ford has announced an investment of $170m (R2.5 billion) to expand operations at its Silverton Assembly Plant in Pretoria, South Africa. The OEM will produce the new Ford Everest SUV (pictured) and increase output of the Ford Ranger at the site.Production of the Ranger at the Silverton plant has been ...
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ArticleMaking the most of the Dubai hub
Stefano Pollotti is managing director, Gefco DubaiThanks to its location, its infrastructure and its relative ease of business, it is no surprise Dubai has been hailed so often as the crossroads of East and West, one of the most strategic commercial hubs in the world and an essential traditional ...
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ArticleAutomotive alarm over prospects for UK steel mills
Tata Steel’s decision to exit the UK – raising the spectre of the country’s steel producing plants shutting down – has set off a number of alarms in the UK automotive sector.Vauxhall, whose parent General Motors has a policy of sourcing products locally where possible and which has increased purchases ...
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ArticleBAIC sends trial consignment via port of Lázaro Cárdenas
Chinese carmaker BAIC has made use of the Mexican port of Lázaro Cárdenas for the first time to import its D20 model cars into the country. A modest 163 units were dispatched from Beijing to dealers in Mexico city via the port in a successful trial last month.The operation took ...
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ArticleRussian carmakers decry Kazakhstan’s customs policy
Russian carmakers say they have been dramatically hit by the utilisation and registration fee on vehicle imports introduced by neighbouring Kazakhstan at the beginning of this year. Alexander Morozov, Russia's deputy minister of industry and tradeThe registration fee for new cars varies between $300-400 per unit, while the utilisation fee, ...
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ArticleEuropean ports survey: Rising volume and risky conditions
Our 2015 survey finds that, with imports in particular on the rise, some ports have experienced capacity issues despite investments in connectivity, capacity and information technology. Meanwhile, others are suffering as a result of geopolitical and broader economic instability. Contribution by Christopher LudwigAcross the European continent last year, from Scandinavia ...
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ArticleUK-EU: Better connected
In the puzzle of EU membership, Britain and its supply chain would both lose out heavily by leaving the gameBritain’s referendum on EU membership this June has divided the country. Opinion polls suggest a close contest, with splits across the population straight up to the governing Conservative party.At first glance, ...
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ArticleFord part 3: Supply chain upgrades
Ford is rolling out advanced global inventory and demand management tools in pursuit of greater efficiency in logistics and service
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Ford part 2: Global strategies
Ford intends to support dealers through its Professional Service Network, a proliferation of Quick Lane stores and extended parts retention.
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ArticleFord part 1: Always looking ahead
In the first of a four-part feature, Christopher Ludwig talks to Ford Customer Service Division president Frederiek Toney (pictured) about changing times for logistics and providing global customer service
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ArticleBinding ambition at Toyota Manufacturing UK
TMUK is developing its logistics efficiency even more closely in line with the Toyota Production System and proving it can manage complex supply chain changes, writes Ian HenryThe UK is an important manufacturing hub for Toyota within its European operations, and a prime example of how carmakers have tightly integrated ...
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ArticleFord confirms plans for EcoSport assembly in Romania
Following speculation last month that Ford could bring production of its EcoSport SUV to the Craiova plant in Romania, the carmaker has now confirmed that it is investing up to €200m ($223m) to do just that, along with its component tooling suppliers.It plans to begin assembly at the plant (pictured) ...