After heading rapidly into reverse, ocean’s ro-ro trade is finding it hard to get out of idle

AUTOMOBILE AND ROLL-ON, ROLL-OFF TRAFFIC bet ween the U. S. and the Middle East is in slow recovery mode after falling hard and fast.

The operative word for the recovery is “slow.” According to Business Intelligence Middle East, car sales across the United

Arab Emirates have stalled as banks have tightened loan requirements. BM W Group Middle East, which has 14 importers in the region, announced first-quarter sales were down 9 percent compared to the same period last year.

According to the MasterCard Worldwide Index of Consumer Confidence, the Middle East scored 49. 9 out of 100, well below the score of 66.4 a year ago.

Exports of new vehicles from the U.S. to the Middle East grew at a stunning pace for the past four years, said Ingar Skiaker, president of Hoegh Autoliners. Capacity was so tight ro-ro carriers ceded exports of privately owned vehicles to the Middle East to container carriers to satisfy the long-term needs of their original equipment manufacturer customers.