The Port of Wilmington in Delaware received the first breakbulk shipment of Chilean winter fruit to arrive in the US, the sixth consecutive season that it has done so.
The m/v Pacific Mermaid, a specialised refrigerated vessel operated by Trans Global Shipping NV in the Global Reefers service, was welcomed on Tuesday 15 December at the marine terminal for perishable cargo.
The vessel discharged a cargo of over 618,450 boxes of fresh cherries, blueberries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, and table grapes.
Wilmington is a major port of entry and distribution center for the seasonal importation of fresh Chilean winter fruit. During this season, the Port anticipates receiving at least 25 shiploads of fruit from the Chilean ports of Valparaiso, Coquimbo, and Caldera. Global Reefers is the sole shipping line providing an express service direct from Chile to the Port of Wilmington.
”The arrival of the Pacific Mermaid marks the sixth year in a row that the First State has had the opportunity to receive the initial breakbulk shipment of Chilean winter fruit, not only on the Delaware River but in the US,' said Gene Bailey, the Port’s Executive Director. 'We are very pleased to once again support the commercial interests of our partners and customers in providing the North American consumer with the freshest available fruit for the Holidays.”
The cargo is stored in the Port’s 800,000 square-foot on-dock refrigerated warehouse complex, one of North America’s largest, before distribution throughout Canada and the eastern region of the US.
The Port handled over 18,650,000 boxes of Chilean fruit in the 2014/15 season - a 10 per cent increase over the previous season.
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