The 14,100 TEU ship will transport Chilean cherries to China
Cosco Shipping has taken delivery of a new vessel that will be used to transport Chilean fruit – primarily cherries – to China.
The ship, named Cosco Shipping Chile, has a capacity of 14,100 TEU and is equipped with 2,100 refrigerated container ports, has been specially designed for the Far East-South American route. According to Cosco it is one of the most competitive container ships on the market.
Claudia Soler, executive director of the Chilean Cherry Committee, was named “godmother” of the new ship and led a ribbon cutting ceremony on 20 September at the Yangzhou Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry shipyard. The event was attended by top executives of Cosco Shipping Lines and Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry, Yangzhou, as well as representatives of Frutas de Chile and other guests.
“I am very proud to be the godmother of Cosco Shipping Chile, which is the last ship in a series of six vessels from this shipping company. It has 14,100 TEUs and it took a year to design and 14 months to build,” Soler said.
The vessel will undergo a five-day test starting on 25 September and if all goes well it will depart Shanghai on 25 October for South America.
Soler said Chilean cherry exports are forecast to increase by 39 per cent in 2024/25, reaching 574,000 tonnes. China will receive around 521,000 tonnes, equivalent to more than 100m cartons, or approximately 28,000 containers – a new record for this market.
She noted that in order to prepare for these large volumes, the Cherry Committee had met with shipping companies, logistics providers, ports and health agencies before the season begins to ensure that the cherries will reach the Chinese market in optimal condition.
Cosco said that Claudia Soler was chosen to be godmother of the ship not only because she is the executive director of the Chilean Cherry Fruit Committee, but also because she comes from a family in which many of its members have played an important role in the development and growth of Chilean fruit growing and agriculture.
In 2019, Cosco launched a direct express service from the port of San Antonio in Chile to Shanghai in China. The service, known as the Cherry Express, has grown from three initial voyages and 848 containers of cherries, to six stable express voyages per season, transporting almost 4,000 containers of cherries.
Cosco has made the port of Shanghai the nerve centre of its Cherry Express service from the west coast of South America, displacing the traditional flow of shipments from Hong Kong to Shanghai.
This adjustment has redirected about one-third of the market volume to Shanghai, serving the eastern, central and northern regions of China. It means Chilean cherries now take around 23 days to reach Shanghai so they arrive fresher and in better condition.
