In early March, China rejected the ship's entire cargo, valued at more than US$120 million, reported the Asia Fruit website.
China has begun the process of destroying the more than 1,300 containers of Chilean cherries (5 million boxes) that were left in poor condition after the incident involving the Maersk ship Saltoro, which was stranded in the Pacific for more than 20 days.
In early March, China rejected the ship's entire cargo, valued at more than US$120 million, reported the Asia Fruit website.
The cargo removal is expected to take several days and will be carried out by eight specialized companies.
"Inspections will be conducted by representatives of insurance companies and Chilean exporting companies before final disposal, and the claims process could take three to six months," the aforementioned website noted.
THE SHIP WITH CHILEAN CHERRIES THAT WAS IN THE SHIP FOR WEEKS
On December 27, 2024, a ship carrying more than 1,300 containers containing 5 million boxes of Chilean cherries left the Port of San Antonio.
The destination? China, where this fruit is highly sought-after both during the Chinese New Year (January 29 to February 12) and on other dates, as the inhabitants of the Asian giant associate the cherry with a symbol of happiness and prosperity.
However, the contracted vessel, the Maersk Saltoro, sailing under the Singapore flag, only arrived at its destination on February 17.
The vessel drifted on January 13, with damage to its main engine.
From the Government, Agriculture Minister Esteban Valenzuela described this situation as "a nightmare" and referred to the operator.
MILLION-DOLLAR LOSSES
An analysis found that the 2024/2025 cherry season resulted in losses for local producers amounting to an estimated US$1.5 billion.
If the total value of the containers on the Saltoro ship (approximately US$120 million) is added, the losses would rise to US$1.6 billion.
EXPORTS
The Chilean government, through the Undersecretariat of International Economic Relations (SUBREI), once again reported promising figures related to the export sector.
During the first two months of 2025, he noted that shipments of goods increased 5.8% to US$18.387 billion; while services exports increased 25% in the period, totaling US$587 million.
The fruit sector, in detail, recorded transactions totaling US$3.626 billion, setting a record value for a similar period. This amount also represents a 5.3% increase compared to the same period in 2024, accounting for 19.7% of the country's total exports.
Fresh cherries led the growth in foreign sales, with shipments totaling US$2.641 billion, representing a 10% increase compared to 2024.
