Symbol of the French presence in Africa, the name Bolloré will disappear from the 250 agencies, 22 concessions (port and rail), 66 dry ports and two river terminals that Bolloré Africa Logistic managed until last December. BAL gives way to Africa Global Logistic, a subsidiary of the Italian-Swiss shipowner MSC-shipping. The €5.7 billion deal gives MSC considerable clout along the West African coast, with container terminals, road terminals, rail lines and a network of warehouses and dry ports very dense.
This weight makes the Italian-Swiss the second player in Africa behind another maritime carrier, Maersk and its logistics subsidiary AP Moller. MSC and Maersk are shaping a new trend that sees maritime carriers gradually becoming the masters of port logistics. A vertical concentration accelerated by the superprofits released for two years by these companies. But who fears agreements on the prices practiced. So much so that last year, the American administration opened an investigation against three of the main European shipowners, including the French CMA-CGM.