Newark, New Jersey received its first air-chartered import of blueberries from Peru this week through a collaborative venture between Advance Customs Brokers & Consulting (ACB) and two of the largest Peruvian blueberry growers, Camposol and Tal SA.
“It is an honour to achieve this milestone on behalf of the growers we represent,” said ACB president Pat Compres. “We are excited to be part of this historic arrival and to see our group efforts come to fruition, as part of our continued growth together.”
The blueberries originated in the Trujillo area in northern Peru and were transported by truck into Frio Aereo for consolidation, then flown out of Jorge Chavez International airport in Lima. Traditionally, blueberries from Peru are imported into the US via ocean containers with a transit time of 17 days.
Currently blueberries are also arriving into JFK via passenger flights, which is limited to a few pallets on board at a time. Chartering allows the transport of over 100 pallets in one flight, thereby making this a more efficient and effective mode of transportation.
“Chartering makes so much more sense economically speaking versus passenger flights,” ACB’s vice president Maria Bermudez noted.
“Furthermore, this new channel benefits the consumer since it optimises the freshness and increases the availability of quality product in the US market.”
Building on the success of this venture, charters are expected to continue into Newark International with anticipated growth in future seasons.
In November 2013, ACB and Camposol achieved another milestone, being the first companies to import cold-treated Peruvian grapes into the Port of Everglades.
