All articles by Barry Cross – Page 10
-
FeatureKenyan car importers hurt by port rate hikes
Companies in Kenya involved in importing finished vehicles have expressed their opposition to a series of new charges being levied by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). Their industry body, the Car Importers Association of Kenya, is demanding an urgent review of the price hikes, pointing out that higher prices will ...
-
FeatureCETM welcomes revival in Spanish haulage but calls for change
The head of Spain’s vehicle haulage association has welcomed positive signs in the market and called for a working party to represent the interests of the sector.Daniel Tarragona, managing director of the SETRAM group (pictured), has had his position as president of the vehicle haulage association – CETM Portavehículos y ...
-
FeatureVehicle numbers at Spanish ports return to pre-crisis levels
Automotive traffic at Spanish ports, which has been particularly badly hit by the country's economic difficulties in recent years, is finally beginning to show signs of exceeding previous growth. The ports of Barcelona and Santander have both reported healthy figures for the first five months of 2014.At the Mediterranean port ...
-
FeaturePort of Pasaia handles first Opel Mokka units
The Basque port of Pasaia (Pasajes) in Spain has begun handling its first Opel Mokka SUVs. In May, the Opel plant at Figueruelas (Zaragoza) announced that this year's production forecast for the model had been raised by 13,000 units.Short-sea operator UECC has said that for 2014 the number of Mokka ...
-
FeatureFord will help India become major export hub
According to data compiled by India's engineering exporters' body, the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC), the combined value of the country's exports of finished vehicles and auto parts increased by 25% in April 2014.This figure includes exports of cars, as well as two- and three-wheel vehicles. The latter group grew ...
-
FeatureIndia looks at short sea for domestic car movements
India's Shipping Ministry has revealed that it is preparing a feasibility study into the movement of locally built finished vehicles by sea for sale in the domestic market. The move would entail linking the ports near to Chennai, in the southeast of the country with those around Gujurat, including the ...
-
FeatureVigo port boosts throughput for PSA and Toyota
[This story has been updated on 26 June 2014] The port of Vigo in north-west Spain is consolidating its position as a leading transhipment hub for finished vehicles in the region. In early June, the specialist ro-ro terminal in Bouzas handled five car carriers in one week, generating traffic of ...
-
FeatureTarragona allows expansion of Bergé facility
Spain’s Tarragona Port Authority has changed the concession granted to Bergé Marítima at its finished vehicle terminal on Cantàbria quay. The company can now expand the facility by 10,500 sq.m. This extra space will be given over to a centre for vehicle handling.In 2013, the port of Tarragona handled 61,487 ...
-
FeatureHonda switches motorcycle parts hub from Algeciras to Barcelona
During June Honda will move its main Spanish hub exporting motorcycle parts and components to North Africa from the port of Algeciras to Barcelona. The change was prefaced by the company's opening of a logistics centre at Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, close to the Catalan capital. The switch of ports ...
-
FeatureSohar to become storage and distribution centre for Toyota Lexus
Sohar Port and Freezone has signed an agreement with the Saud Bahwan group for the creation of a new, 40-hectare vehicle storage and distribution centre for Toyota Lexus finished vehicles.Sohar Port and the adjacent free zone space is already home to two other automotive distribution companies: Suhail Bahwan Automotive (handling ...
-
FeatureUECC boosts traffic through Pasajes with Mercedes contract
United European Car Carriers (UECC), which has its Spanish base is at the northern port of Pasajes (Pasaia), has reported a notable increase in both the number of finished vehicles and components this year. The terminal's director, Miguel García, believes that this will translate into a slight overall increase compared ...
-
FeatureAutomotive supplier park mooted for Durban redevelopment
The Kwazulu-Natal provincial government in South Africa is to make use of land being developed for a new port on the site of the old Durban International Airport to create an automotive supplier park, with the aim of expanding the export of new vehicles.This plan was announced by state premier, ...
-
FeatureHambantota has become regional hub for South Asia
Sri Lanka's Ruhunu Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa port, in Hambantota, is now South Asia's biggest regional transshipment hub for finished vehicles, according to Dr Priyath Wickrama, chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority.In the first quarter of this year alone, the facility handled more than 41,000 transshipped units, which he said was ...
-
FeatureWindmills squeeze out vehicles at Montevideo
Vehicle importers at the Uruguayan port of Montevideo are seriously concerned by a 50% reduction in the amount of space given over to inbound vehicles. They suggest that the situation could get worse.According to Julio Martínez, head of the Uruguayan Automotive Business Association (ACAU), which represents 23 companies in the ...
-
FeatureKorea demands drastic tariff cuts from India
South Korea has asked the government of India to undertake major tariff cuts on its goods as part of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which was signed by the two countries in 2009 and became law as of 2010.Dong Seok Choi, director-general, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, recently noted: “We have ...
-
FeatureMexico vehicle exports dip in January
The Mexican Automotive Industry Association (AMIA) has released figures that show finished vehicle exports in January declined by 0.4% to 177,928 units, compared to January 2013. The organisation's president, Eduardo Solís, noted that the decrease was due to a fall in the US market brought about by the current harsh ...
-
FeatureVolvo and Eicher expand beyond India
Volvo Group’s equal joint venture in India with Eicher Motors – VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV) – has announced that it is targeting 15% of total sales to come from exports within the next five years.The Volvo distribution network in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia will be used to ...
-
FeatureEnnore aims to be India's leading exporter of finished vehicles
The port of Ennore on the east coast of India is aiming to become the country’s number one port for vehicle exports, according to its director of operations Sanjay Kumar., According to Kumar, the port hopes to be handling between 250,000-300,000 units by 2015, which will require it to double ...
-
FeatureRecord results for Brazilian exports
Brazilian vehicle exports grew strongly in 2013, including a rise of nearly 30% for passenger car exports, thanks in part to a weak Brazilian real. Data released by the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers (Anfavea) suggests that the overall value of $16.6 billion, which includes cars, light commercial vehicles, buses, ...
-
FeatureSpain's market recovering but logistics is lagging says Ford
The president of Ford’s Spanish division, José Manuel Machado (left), has said that logistics remains the main "unfinished business" to ensure the future of vehicle manufacturing in the country, which is showing a marked improvement.He stressed that, to be more competitive, vehicle factories in Spain needed to become ever more ...