Port of
Wilmington, Delaware Welcomes the First Chilean Fruit Ship for the
2006-2007 Season
Wilmington, Del. – The Port of Wilmington, Delaware welcomed this
year’s first shipment of Chilean winter fruit onboard Pacific Seaways’
specialized reefer vessel, m/v Prince of Tides, on Wednesday, December
13. Wilmington, Delaware is the nation’s leading marine terminal for
imports of refrigerated cargoes and the number one port on the Delaware
for Chilean fruit imports. Last season nearly 190,000 pallets of Chilean
fruit with retail value of more than one billion dollars moved across
the port’s docks.
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Favorable growing conditions in the Chile and the addition of new
shippers to the Pacific Seaways cooperative portend a busy season with
increased volumes of delicious and healthy Chilean fruit arriving from
the Chilean ports of Valparaiso, Coquimbo and Caldera. Over 40 ships
with approximately 200,000 pallets |
First shipments of
2006 Chilean fruit imports discharged in Wilmington, Delaware |
will call at the port from December through June carrying primarily
table grapes, plums, nectarines, apricots, peaches, cherries, kiwi and
other deciduous fruit. Apples, pears and kiwi fruit will begin in April
and continue arriving at the port through June.
Many of Chile’s largest fruit shippers will inspect and store their
imports in the Port’s 800,000 sf of temperature controlled warehouse
space; the largest dockside refrigerated warehouse complex in the US.
From Wilmington, their fruit will be distributed by refrigerated trucks
and sold throughout the US East coast, mid-west and Canadian markets.
- End -
Founded in 1923, the Port of Wilmington is an important
asset for the local and regional economy, generating more than 5,800
jobs and contributing over $24 million in annual tax revenues to state
and local government. The Port is owned and operated by the Diamond
State Port Corporation, a corporation of the State of Delaware.
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