b'THE UNCONTAINEDIS BREAKBULK THE SHIPPING SOLUTION FOR LATIN AMERICAN PRODUCE?By Tad Thompson, AJOTT o better manage fruit arrivals, Kopke said, We need to moveHolt responded, We share Mr. Kopkes view that for to breakbulk ships. Fifty years ago, the Chilean businessseasonal fruit a robust specialized fleet is very welcome. One started with breakbulk service, which declined as containershould also note that someone has to pay for the party. As the lines came in and offered lower freight rates. As competitioncontainer markets have marginally cooled there has been an decreased, container rates doubled and even tripled. Now, Kopkealmost instant movement of some of the outlier cargoes back to bemoans, We pay more and have no service. containers. An equilibrium is needed. Its above our pay grade to In addition to cost problems, given the bills of lading,guess what that balance point should be.container carriers have no obligation to come here in a timelyHolt noted, SeaTrade and Cool Carriers have both way, Kopke noted. How can you import when you dont knowannounced new building programs. The world in general - when the fruit will arrive? The container lines dont exhibitnotably growers, shippers, all lines, and governments - should any regard for their customers. Its not the way it was yearswelcome and support additional capacities as there are many ago, when there were relationships between importers andfactors that are benefitted from having a robust reefer fleet. It is the shipping lines. Our needs are not considered. He said, foragile and can pivot quickly.example, that one Chilean fruit container ship embarked on Dec.In 2022, as ocean trade recovered from the COVID 15, with arrival expected 15 days later. That ship docked on Feb.pandemic, there was a rise in breakbulk cargo, Holt 4. indicates. This is a move away from the rivers move toward Kopke continued that breakbulk ships from Chile can becontainerization for the past 20 years. Breakbulk cargoes discharged and delivered for fumigation. When the stuff is inaccommodate a flexible supply chain, says Holt. Argentine pears containers, you never know when it will arrive or be fumigated. and lemons, as well as 17 breakbulk vessels bearing South Greenberg indicates: People transitioned years ago fromAfrican citrus this year were among the leaders in breakbulk breakbulk to containers because containers were relativelycargo. Breakbulk fruit juice from the Far East and Mediterranean cheaper. Recently, containers became very expensive, and thewere new this year to the Delaware River system. Reefer ships economics of breakbulk changed. Until refrigerated containeralso bore European frozen foods and packaged products from rates come back to earth, prefer break bulk. He added that itthe Far East. Holt does not see this development necessarily takes 4,000 pallets to fill a breakbulk ship. being a permanent trend, but it does reinforce the strength Kopke said, Efforts are being made to replace theof breakbulk carriers mantra: Fast, dedicated, direct. In the containers because there was mistreatment by some of theshipping world, breakbulk serves as a figurative sea anchor in container lines. That is not acceptable to the people who pay thethese difficult currents, says Holt.freight. There have been many lawsuits made by the people who were affected last year. This is a very complicated story.The busy cargo seaport. Valparaiso, Chile. It is the most important seaport in Chile.15'