A Major cargo terminal in Port-Vendres in France near the Spanish border located close to the A9 motorway with a rail terminal and parking for 500 trucks is to open in September 2016.

Designed to facilitate trade with Algeria, commercial property developer APRC Group is investing EUR€120 million (US$135 million) in the hub at the foot of the French Pyrenees.

The project provides for 141,000 square metres of bonded warehousing and will serve shippers exporting to Algeria, including a major French retailer, the developer says.

Goods will be transported to the nearby Port-Vendres for shipment to Algeria on ro-ro vessels to the ports of Algiers and Oran, reports Lloyd's Loading List.

The project is part of a broader initiative piloted by APRC aiming to "build Algeria's logistics of tomorrow". It has set up a joint venture with Algeria's road haulage federation to distribute goods in a country where logistics is still in its infancy.