Middle East and Africa News
Morocco becomes largest vehicle exporter to EU
Morocco now leads automotive exports to the EU, surpassing China and Japan. With robust logistics and rising production, North Africa gains momentum.
Maersk: Container volume to rise, Red Sea disruption continues
Maersk has hiked up its projected 2024 profits by $2 billion despite Red Sea disruptions
Stellantis revenue and profits fall in ‘challenging’ automotive market
Stellantis blames financial results on “challenging” automotive industry as it reviews the UK EV market
Global IT outage affects ports in US, Europe and Africa
Global IT outage affects ports and airports across the US, Europe, Africa and more, causing problems for the automotive supply chain globally
Manuel Purwin moves to CCO role at Scan Global Logistics
Manuel Purwin has taken up the role of chief commercial officer for the EMEA region at Scan Global Logistics
Tensions in Middle East trigger war risk premiums in freight rates
The capture of the MSC vessel is the latest in the crisis affecting shipping routes on the Red Sea and could cause even more problems for global shipping.
Bridging troubled waters in global shipping
Deep-sea vessel operators are facing attacks when transiting the Middle East and Africa but Inchape Shipping Services and Ambrey have recently provided advice in their Global Shipping Report
Ford’s Dubai PDC will distribute service parts to GCC, Africa and Asia Pacific
Ford’s 42,000 sq.m parts distribution centre in the Dubai World Central economic zone will store 85,000 SKUs and leverage cutting-edge technology
Maersk opts for land bridge due to Panama Canal drought
Maersk has changed its services due to the ongoing drought affecting the Panama Canal and is instead opting for a ‘land bridge’ to mitigate disruptions.
Red Sea blog: Live updates
Houthi attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea are increasing, causing container ship and ro-ro operators to reroute vessels to avoid danger. Follow Automotive Logistics’ live blog for the latest updates.
Escalation in Taiwan could cause further semiconductor crisis in 2024
As tensions and regulatory frictions rise, semiconductor supply may face disruption, prompting investment in semiconductor facilities in the US.
Ford breaks ground on Dubai PDC with DB Schenker
Ford has broken ground on a 42,000 sq.m parts distribution centre, which is expected to open in January 2025 and will be operated by DB Schenker
Houthi forces seize NYK car carrier in Red Sea
An NYK-chartered car carrier, the Galaxy Leader, has been hijacked by armed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen
Sallaum Lines expands ro-ro capacity with new PCTC orders
The shipping firm moves finished vehicles for OEMs like Ford and BMW between the US, Europe and Africa.
Stellantis plans to make cars in South Africa by 2025
Stellantis is planning to make vehicles at a new plant in South Africa, part of its plan to sell 1m vehicles in the Middle East and Africa region by 2030, with 70% of those made locally
Lithium-ion battery gigafactory database
Track electric vehicle lithium battery gigafactories by manufacturer, location, manufacturer, current and planned gigawatt (GWh) capacity.
Dave Bozeman to replace Frederiek Toney at Ford
Frederiek Toney, vice-president of the Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD), is leaving the company later this year after a career stretching 22 years. Dave Bozeman will take over from him
Ukraine’s vital link in the European supply chain
The closure of Ukraine’s supplier industry and the impact on logistics routes reveals how important the country is to European automotive production
Jens-Peter Riemann heads automotive for Kuehne + Nagel in Middle East and Africa
Jens-Peter Riemann has moved from his role as global automotive business development director at a Danish transport and logistics giant, DSV to head automotive and mobility for Kuehne + Nagel in the Middle East and Africa
DSV Panalpina buys Global Integrated Logistics for $4.1 billion
DSV Panalpina has bought Agility’s Global Integrated Logistics, with significant gains for its Road, Solutions and Sea & Air divisions, and making it one of the top three logistics providers globally
