Chilean Fruit Export Damages Due to Port Slowdowns Higher than Estimated
UNITED STATES – The West Coast port slowdowns are taking a toll on Chilean fruit being imported into the United States.
Both FEDEFRUTA and the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) are reporting that the damages have reached approximately $50 million, which is higher than previously anticipated.
According to ASOEX, the slowdown has delayed the unloading of ships from a two-day average to 7 days and expects that to increase even further to 12 days.
U.S. Ambassador to Chile, Michael A. Hammer, met with FEDEFRUTA President, Juan Carolus Brown, and Director of the Federation, Cristián Allendes Marin, to discuss this problem.
“Ambassador Hammer understood our situation and told us that he has communicated the concerns of Chilean growers through the American diplomatic channels,” Brown said in a press release.
He continued, “It became clear that the American state is doing its best to mediate and bring the parties in conflict, so that the dispute comes to an end.”
As we previously reported, U.S. Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, is in California this week to work with the ILWU and the PMA to help end the 9-month long contract dispute.
Currently, there are approximately 1.8 million boxes of fruit from Chile at the ports. If the disputes are not resolved soon, the situation could become dramatically worse. ASOEX says that in mid-March, 5 ships will reach the ports with a combined total of 2.5 million boxes of fruit.
Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for continued updates on this developing story.
