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Article: Highways across the ocean: the expanding business of carrying cars to and from Africa. (Shipping).
- Article from:
- African Business
- Article date:
- May 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 IC Publications Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In the Atlantic Ocean somewhere off Dakar, two ships pass; one heading south from Antwerp to West Africa, the other northbound from Durban to Bristol, UK. On their radars they track another vessel heading north-east from Brazil.
The goods these three ships are carrying to and from Africa are almost identical; pretty well interchangeable. The ships are laden with cars, mostly new and sometimes wearing the same badges, so a South African-made Mercedes heading for Bristol could pass a German-made Merc on its way south to Douala, while a Brazilian-made VW arrives in Dakar for transhipment to Luanda and a cargo of new cars from US manufacturers is discharged at ...