CNN —In late August, a container vessel sailed out of Angola’s Port of Lobito carrying railway operator Lobito Atlantic Railway’s first shipment of copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the US. That’s about 30 days faster than a road journey, according to Francisco Franca, the CEO of Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), a consortium of firms that took over operations of the railway in January. The ship took Lobito Atlantic Railways first shipment of copper to the US. “Lobito Corridor is not just a railway line, but is the economic development along the corridor,” said Franca, the CEO of LAR. For companies like his, the benefits of the Lobito Corridor are clear.

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Persons: CNN —, Francisco Franca, Franca, LAR, Washington jostle, Emmet Livingstone, Joe Biden, “, David Reekmans, Reekmans, Asia ”, Trump, Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, Evelyn Hockstein, Xi Jinping, ”, Wamkele Mene, Décio Catarro Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Lobito Atlantic Railway, Washington, MSC, Lobito Atlantic Railways, Atlantic Railway, Initiative, Benguela Railway, Partnership for Global Infrastructure, Investment, Getty, Port, White House, Reuters, African Continental Free Trade Area, Industry Locations: Angola’s Port, Lobito, Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, Europe, Kolwezi, Angola, Africa’s, Beijing, Benguela, China, Africa, Washington, AFP, America, Asia, Zambia, Tanzania, Tanzanian