Splash247: MOL teams with Suzuki and TradeWaltz to drive India–Africa car trades

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Suzuki Motor Corporation and digital trade platform TradeWaltz aimed at strengthening the fast-growing automobile supply chain between India and Africa.

The agreement, unveiled during TICAD 9 in Yokohama, will focus on two key areas: digitising documentation in vehicle trades and decarbonising transport links. Car shipments between India and Africa are still hampered by manual processes, particularly with bills of lading, while emissions reduction has become a core focus for both shipping lines and carmakers.

MOL, already expanding its dedicated automobile services from India to Africa, sees the partnership as a way to capture rising flows of compact vehicles to African markets. 

Suzuki, the dominant automaker in India through its subsidiary Maruti Suzuki, accounts for nearly half of all cars sold in the country. Its affordable, fuel-efficient models are proving increasingly popular with Africa’s burgeoning middle class, where demand for durable, low-cost mobility is accelerating.

India has emerged as a major car export hub, with shipments to Africa rising sharply in recent years, aided by proximity, competitive pricing, and manufacturing scale.

The agreement between the three companies was signed at this week’s Tokyo International Conference on African Development, an event where terminal operator DP World has also signed an MoU with Japanese trading house Itochu Corporation to expand logistics, supply chain infrastructure, and distribution capabilities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Beat Simon, DP World’s chief operating officer for logistics, commented: “Africa represents one of the most dynamic growth frontiers for global trade. This collaboration with Itochu reflects a shared vision to unlock value by combining our infrastructure and logistics expertise with Itochu’s commercial experience to create deeper connections between Africa and Japan.”