On January 7, 2020, an express freight service carrying more than 500 containers, a total of over 10,000 tons of Chilean cherries worth more than 500 million yuan, arrived at the Yangshan Port in Shanghai, setting a record of the largest volume and the highest value of imported fruit to arrive at this port. Moreover, this international service skipped a few ports en route to reduce transit time, which is a rare occurrence. The container ship set off in South America and completed the entire journey in 23 days, 25% shorter than the regular service.
According to the freight forwarder and shipping company, COSCO SHIPPING Consolidation, over recent years, with the consumption upgrade, cherry, a fruit with high values, has gradually become a new holiday essential for the Chinese New Year. As a large number of consumers visit home with cherries as a gift, there’s a strong demand for cherries arriving before the Chinese New Year, which is expected to offset the cost of skipping ports en route and reducing transit time. At the same time, data show that the consumption of imported cherries in East China accounts for one-third of the total consumption in the country, but the proportion of ships having Shanghai as their first destination in China is incompatible with this ratio.
It is reported this express service provided by COSCO SHIPPING is the second service of its kind. The first service arrived at Yangshan Port on December 31, 2019, carrying cargoes weighing 7,700 tons, which facilitated the first-ever large-scale distribution in Shanghai Port. In addition to distributing to the local Shanghai market, more cherries were distributed to surrounding markets using Shanghai Port as a hub. The third service is also on the way and is scheduled to arrive in Shanghai on January 14.
Source: Shangguan News