AUTO VOLUMES TO AFRICA PROMPTS A.C.L.N. TO CHARTER VESSEL

AUTO VOLUMES TO AFRICA PROMPTS A.C.L.N. TO CHARTER VESSEL    A.C.L.N. Ltd., a distributor of new and pre-owned automobiles, has entered into a time charter agreement with K- Line for a 3,000-car-capacity ship to address growing volumes to Africa.
   The vessel, the “Diamond Highway,” will be used for two voyages to West Africa.
   The company shipped 16,610 vehicles in April, a 57.9-percent increase over April 2000, and has a backlog of about 8,200 cars in Europe awaiting delivery to ports in Africa.
   A.C.L.N. said the growth in vehicle volumes has been due largely to improving political and economic stability, a rising consumer class, improved access to oil and gasoline and a current automobile ownership rate of less than 1.5 percent.