The Port of Wilmington, Delaware received its first breakbulk shipment of fresh Chilean winter fruit on Dec. 27, 2018. The M/V Star Best, a specialized refrigerated vessel operated by Trans Global Shipping NV in the Global Reefers service, was welcomed to the nation’s foremost marine terminal for perishable cargo.
The Star Best commenced discharging her cargo of more than 676,000 boxes of fresh table grapes, peaches, nectarines, apricots, and plums on Dec. 27, 2018. The Port is a major port of entry and distribution center for the seasonal importation of fresh Chilean winter fruit, loaded in the Chilean ports of Valparaiso, Coquimbo, and Caldera.
“We are thrilled to support, in a meaningful way, the commercial interests of our partners and customers in providing the U.S. and Canadian consumer with the freshest available fruit for the new year,” said Eric Casey, CEO of GT USA Wilmington.
Harold Cohen, Global Reefers’ Port Captain/USA Representative, said, “We are grateful to Wilmington for our longstanding trade relationship that has meant market and logistics stability for us as well as our customers. We are looking forward to another great Chilean season, together with the State of Delaware, the City of Wilmington, and GT USA Wilmington.”
The cargo is stored in the Port’s 800,000 SF on-dock refrigerated warehouse complex, one of North America’s largest facilities, for distribution to the eastern region of the United States and throughout Canada. The Port handled more than 12,550,000 boxes of Chilean fruit in the 2017-18 season.
