All finished vehicle logistics articles
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FeatureLooking for the safe side in uncertain times
Europe’s finished vehicle sector faces several big challenges in coming months, as speakers at the recent ECG conference in Germany made clear. Marcus Williams reportsThe finished vehicle sector in Europe is dealing with some major challenges at the moment, including an increasingly serious driver shortage, severe fluctuations in capacity demand ...
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FeatureA race against time for the UK car sector
It is still very uncertain what the UK’s exit from the European Union is going to look like at the end of March 2019 but it is going to have a big impact on the automotive industry whatever it looks like. At this year’s Automotive Logistics UK summit, major carmakers ...
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FeatureShipowners should be immune from fuel penalties, says Grimaldi
Emanuele Grimaldi, the managing director of Italian shipping firm Grimaldi Group (pictured), has called for immunity from penalties for shipowners who find themselves in circumstances where it is impossible to comply with the forthcoming rules on maritime sulphur emissions.At the beginning of 2020 it will be compulsory under regulations administered ...
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FeatureCAR says clock is ticking but no need for alarm
Nafta re-negotiations and the ongoing trade disputes between the US and China are creating considerable uncertainty in the automotive industry, but that does not change the need to keep the supply chain international; if anything, cross-border logistics services have become even more important. Bernard Swiecki, senior automotive analyst at the ...
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FeatureEEU cuts import duties but trade within bloc is in dispute
The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) has officially cut duties on finished vehicles being imported into the bloc from 20% to 17%. The rule took effect from September 1 this year, while a further reduction to 15% is proposed to take place at the same time in 2019. The EEU comprises ...
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FeatureNVD adopts Inform system for moves in Ireland
National Vehicle Distribution (NVD) is using a system developed by German IT specialist Inform to manage finished vehicle distribution and yard management in Ireland.The SynchroTess system can track the approximately 400,000 vehicles NVD handles every year through each stage of storage, preparation and delivery.Michael Howlin, head of IT at the ...
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FeatureAnfac study downgrades port logistics in Spain
The Spanish automotive manufacturers’ association, Anfac, has just released its annual Maritime Port Logistics Grading study, which identifies Santander (pictured), Sagunto and Pasajes ports as currently the best for vehicle processing in Spain.One of the significant conclusions of the report, however, is that the overall grading for port logistics declined ...
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FeatureDamaged Kess vessel being towed to Swedish port
Ocean forwarder K Line has confirmed that its ro-ro vessel Makassar Highway, which ran aground off the Swedish coast last week on its way to Sodertalije port in Sweden, has been refloated and is now being towed at a slow speed to Oskarshamn port. Photo credit: KustbevakningenThe vessel was carrying ...
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FeatureABP invests in quality control for BMW at Southampton
Port operator Associated British Ports (ABP) is installing quality control equipment at the port of Southampton, representing the first phase of a multi-million pound investment.Digital imaging technology provided by Degould, including two drive-in booths, have been built in the multi-deck areas of the facility, which will be used to monitor ...
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FeatureWallenius Wilhelmsen acquires Syngin Technology
Global logistics provider and shipping line, Wallenius Wilhelmsen, has signed a deal to buy 70% of US automated logistics provider and broker, Syngin Technology for $22m.Syngin, which currently operates in the US and Canadian markets, provides an online marketplace for the distribution of used vehicles that are used by fleet ...
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FeatureGefco and Bergé join forces in Spain
Gefco is setting up a joint venture with Spanish logistics provider Bergé to strengthen finished vehicle operations in Spain. The new company will be called Bergé Gefco and combine the fleets and resources of both companies’ divisions in the country to offer customers a complete range of finished vehicle services, ...
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FeatureLocation key to Volvo’s latest plant in the US
Sweden’s Volvo Cars has held a plant opening for its first US manufacturing base, near Charleston, South Carolina.The company invested around $1.1 billion (€950m) in the plant, which has an annual production capacity of 150,000 cars a year. The new S60 mid-size sports sedan will be the first model to ...
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FeatureHigher tariffs to hit Daimler’s earnings
Increased Chinese import duties on US-made cars and other setbacks have forced Daimler to lower earnings expectations for this year, despite record sales.“The decisive factor is that at Mercedes-Benz Cars fewer-than-expected SUV sales and higher-than-expected costs – not completely passed on to the customers – must be assumed because of ...
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FeatureRussia on its way to join the global automotive trade war
The Russian government is considering protective duties against US finished vehicles according to Maxim Oreshkin, Russia’s economic development minister (pictured). Oreshkin held a press conference in Moscow on June 25 and said the country could introduce duties ranging between 18% and 20% in response to the US decision to raise ...
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FeatureTwinning talent with technology
The rate at which emerging digital technologies are transforming the automotive logistics supply chain is hard to keep up with. As both an enabler of everything from platform design to procurement, finance and planning, and a disruptor of traditional supply chain operations, digital technology associated with industry 4.0 is driving ...
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FeatureManta becoming regional hub for finished vehicles
The northern Ecuadorian port of Manta is looking to expand its role as a hub for finished vehicles and this month reached its full storage capacity for transhipped vehicle volumes.Manta only began operating regularly in the transshipment market as of July last year but in the third week of May ...
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FeatureVehicle imports to Russia increase in the first quarter
Russia imported almost 67,000 finished vehicles during the first quarter 2018, up by just under 50% compared to the same period last year, according to a statement from the country’s Federal Customs Service. Imports over the period were equal to $1.65 billion.It is the first time in a decade that ...
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FeatureMosolf continues expansion with buyout of German rival
German-based vehicle transporter Mosolf Group is taking over German rival firm Autokontor Bayern to reinforce its position “in an environment where markets are becoming more specialist and consolidating,” said the company’s CEO, Jörg Mosolf.The ownership change means Autokontor Bayern’s main shareholder and joint managing director Bernd Sauter will leave the ...
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FeatureSettling into steady growth
China has the biggest car market in the world and is expected to make 25.3m vehicles this year. The city of Chengdu has 4.5m of them driving around it, making it the second largest in China for vehicle numbers behind Beijing – and it was to Chengdu that delegates headed ...
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FeatureGefco reports gains in automotive beyond core PSA contracts
Gefco has reported annual revenue gains of 5.1% in its full-year results for 2017, earning €4.4 billion ($5.4 billion). Sales were supported by a 8.1% growth in global automotive accounts outside of its traditional activity for former parent company Groupe PSA (which now includes GM's Opel/Vauxhall divisions). The company noted ...