Venturing off the Beaten Path ...
So often we find ourselves focusing our efforts on developing communications and strengthening infrastructure within major markets including Europe, the Middle East, South America and China; in doing so, we often tend to overlook the non-commercialized economies of the world.
This edition intends to veer you off the proverbial "beaten path" and introduce you to our international partners in 2 very different, albeit unique, parts of the world.
Our first stop will be on the continent of Africa.
Swift Freight International is AIT's international partner in much of Africa, as our cooperation extends from West Africa, including Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Mozambique, Ivory Coast and Ghana, to the Eastern and South Eastern portions of the continent, including Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda Uganda, Burundi and Zambia.
The major business centers in Africa are Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria.
The second stop takes us to Central Asia. Globalink Logistics is AIT's proud partner in this region, specifically providing coverage in the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Read below for an economic background on these countries and our partnerships with Swift Freight International and Globalink Logistics.
Africa - Swift Freight International
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Tanzania |
Tanzania is in East Africa on the Indian Ocean. To the north are Uganda and Kenya; to the west, Burundi, Rwanda, and Congo; and to the south, Mozambique, Zambia, and Malawi. Tanzania contains three of Africa's best-known lakes-Victoria in the north, Tanganyika in the west, and Nyasa in the south. Mount Kilimanjaro in the north, 19,340 ft (5,895 m), is the highest point on the continent.
| Economic summary: |
- GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $48.94 billion
- Real growth rate: 7.3%
- Inflation: 7%
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| Agriculture: |
coffee, sisal, tea, cotton, pyrethrum (insecticide made from chrysanthemums), cashew nuts, tobacco, cloves, corn, wheat, cassava (tapioca), bananas, fruits, vegetables; cattle, sheep, goats |
| Labor force: |
20.04 million; agriculture 80%, industry and services 20% (2002 est.) |
| Industries: |
agricultural processing (sugar, beer, cigarettes, sisal twine); diamond, gold, and iron mining, salt, soda ash; cement, oil refining, shoes, apparel, wood products, fertilizer |
| Natural resources: |
hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas, nickel |
| Exports: |
$1.581 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): gold, coffee, cashew nuts, manufactures cotton |
| Imports: |
$2.391 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): consumer goods, machinery and transportation equipment, industrial raw materials, and crude oil |
| Major trading partners: |
India, Spain, Netherlands, Japan, UK, China, Kenya, South Africa, UAE, U.S. (2004) |
|
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Nigeria |
On Oct. 1, 1960, Nigeria gained independence, becoming a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and joining the United Nations. Organized as a loose federation of self-governing states, the independent nation faced the overwhelming task of unifying a country with 250 ethnic and linguistic groups.
Since 2004, an insurgency has broken out in the Niger delta, Nigeria's oil-producing region. The desperately impoverished local residents of the delta have seen little benefit from Nigeria's vast oil riches, and rebel groups are fighting for a more equal distribution of the wealth as well as greater regional autonomy. Violence by rebel groups has disrupted oil production and reduced output by about 20%. Nigeria is one of the world's largest oil producers and supplies the U.S. with one-fifth of its oil.
In Aug. 2006 Nigeria handed over the oil-rich Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon, in compliance with a 2002 World Court ruling.
| Economic summary: |
- GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $292.7 billion
- Real growth rate: 6.4%
- Inflation: 5.5%
- Unemployment: 4.9%
|
| Agriculture: |
cocoa, peanuts, palm oil, corn, rice, sorghum, millet, cassava (tapioca), yams, rubber; cattle, sheep, goats, pigs; timber; fish |
| Labor force: |
50.13 million; agriculture 70%, industry 10%, services 20% (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
crude oil, coal, tin, columbite; palm oil, peanuts, cotton, rubber, wood; hides and skins, textiles, cement and other construction materials, food products, footwear, chemicals, fertilizer, printing, ceramics, steel, small commercial ship construction and repair |
| Natural resources: |
natural gas, petroleum, tin, columbite, iron ore, coal, limestone, lead, zinc, arable land |
| Exports: |
$61.81 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): petroleum and petroleum products 95%, cocoa, rubber |
| Imports: |
$30.35 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): machinery, chemicals, transport equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals |
| Major trading partners: |
U.S., Brazil, Spain, China, UK, Netherlands, France, Germany (2006) |
|
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Ghana |
A West African country bordering on the Gulf of Guinea, Ghana is bounded by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It compares in size to Oregon, and its largest river is the Volta.
Ghana has been widely viewed as one of Africa's most stable democracies. In Jan. 2001, John Agyekum Kufuor was elected president. In 2002, he set up a National Reconciliation Commission to review human rights abuses during the country's military rule. He was reelected in Dec. 2004.
| Economic summary: |
- GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $31.33 billion
- Real growth rate: 6.4%
- Inflation: 9.6%
- Unemployment: 11% (2000 est.)
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| Agriculture: |
cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber |
| Labor force: |
11.29 million (2007 est.); agriculture 60%, industry 15%, services 25% (1999 est.) |
| Industries: |
mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building |
| Natural resources: |
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone |
| Exports: |
$4.194 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds |
| Imports: |
$8.073 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs |
| Major trading partners: |
Netherlands, UK, France, U.S., Belgium, Spain, South Africa, Nigeria, China (2006) |
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Swift Freight International, headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has been a leader in global transportation and logistics since its inception in 1989. Providing a comprehensive range of freight logistics solutions, Swift offers competitive options, personalized customer service, and global connections through its network of offices in 21 countries.
As an accredited IATA cargo agent, Swift Freight International is the leading air freight forwarder in the region and provides its customers with on-time delivery for their inbound and outbound shipments.
Project cargo is a significant area of Swift's expertise, and our experienced, well-rounded projects team provides specialized services to meet any requirements. Years of experience working with projects and heavy lift cargo of different descriptions and dimensions certify Swift to proficiently overcome the hurdles that can face these intricate projects.
Central Asia - Globalink Logistics
Another ever-growing part of the world's economy is Central Asia, where AIT is represented by Globalink Logistics Group, which operates throughout Central Asia, specifically in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
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Kazakhstan |
Kazakhstan lies in the north of the central Asian republics and is bounded by Russia in the north, China in the east, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan in the south, and the Caspian Sea and part of Turkmenistan in the west. Kazakhstan is about four times the size of Texas.
Kazakhstan has the potential for becoming one of central Asia's richest countries because of its huge mineral and oil resources and its liberalized economy, which encourages Western investment. In 2000, oil was discovered in Kazakhstan's portion of the Caspian Sea. It is believed to be the largest oil find in 30 years. In March 2001, a pipeline opened to transport oil from the Tengiz fields to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. In 2004, Kazakhstan signed a deal allowing China to build an oil pipeline to the Chinese border.
| Economic summary: |
- GDP/PPP (2007): $167.6 billion
- Real growth rate: 8.5%
- Inflation: 10.8%
- Unemployment: 7.3%
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| Agriculture: |
grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton; livestock |
| Labor force: |
7.85 million; industry 30%, agriculture 20%, services 50% (2002 est.) |
| Industries: |
oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials |
| Natural resources: |
major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium |
| Exports: |
$44.88 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): oil and oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001) |
| Imports: |
$29.91 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): machinery and equipment 41%, metal products 28%, foodstuffs 8% (2001) |
| Major trading partners: |
Russia, Bermuda, Germany, China, France, Italy, Ukraine (2004) |
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Globalink is an international freight forwarding, project logistics and relocation service provider that manages the movement of cargo via sea, land and air on a global scale.
With their entire organization dedicated to providing cost effective alternatives to their customers and associates, Globalink is the forwarder of choice for AIT.
Established in 1994, Globalink is widely recognized as one of the largest freight forwarding and multimodal transportation management companies operating in the European, Middle East, CIS and South Asian markets.
Continuing its pioeering spirit and aiming to provide its customers with shorter transit times and more cost effective options, Globalink has been instrumental in the development and use of new routes to and from CIS, while maintaining the quality and seamless continuity of services for which the company is known.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the Partner News eNewsletter,
please contact Larry Georgen, Manager Global Network. |
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