The MSC Carole vessel, which set sail on 2 April from Valparaíso to the port of Rodman, in Panama, registered the highest shipping record of reefer containers ever carried by MSC from Chile, with 2,082 boxes, equivalent to 4,164 TEUs.
The shipment included mostly grapes, apples, pears, quinces, and frozen products (fruit, salmon, and seafood) destined to markets on the East Coast of the United States and Europe, two of the most important markets for reefer products exported from Chile.
The MSC Carole, built in 2021, has a capacity of 12,200 TEUs and 2,082 reefer plugs, which have been fully utilised for this shipment. She operates on the NWC-USA-SAWC service between Europe, the United States, and the West Coast of South America.
Before MSC Carole, the record was held by MSC Madhu B, with nearly 3,540 TEUs of reefer containers carried in March 2020.
Several factors contributed to MSC Chile reaching this new record. Francisco Herrera, Export Commercial Manager, MSC Chile, highlighted how the company can count on cargo capacity and container availability, even amid the current difficult operational environment. "Normally, we would share space on northbound vessels operating on our NWC-USA-SAWC service with Peru and due to operational issues caused by the heavy congestion we’re seeing at ports around the country which are impacting schedule reliability, we were able to reserve all the space on the MSC Carole for Chile."
MSC Chile was quick to proactively help customers advance their shipments to support with their supply chain needs and ensure their cargo would get to destination ahead of time. Additionally, calling at Valparaiso ensured our vessel was not affected by the swell and high winds currently affecting the port of San Antonio, allowing us to seamlessly load reefer cargo onto the vessel.
This record is the result of the joint efforts of the Sales, Customer Service, Reefer Operations and Operations teams at MSC Chile, as well as Logistics and Warehouse at our subsidiary MEDLOG Chile for land transport and logistics activities. "It is important to recognize the effort and professionalism of all our teams," commented Francisco.
With 3,696 container units on board, the MSC Carole is expected to arrive in Rodman, Panama on 8 April. From there, the vessel will continue its voyage to Zeebrugge in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Keeping Chilean fruit exports on the move
Did you know that Chile is one of the main producers and exporters of fruits in South America? It exports more than 50 different fruits and is considered a world-class supplier for its reliability and compliance with food safety standards.
Offering reliable and efficient shipping services to and from Chile since 1994, today, MSC Chile stands for 280 employees, six offices, six ports, seven terminals, three weekly services and four depots, connecting our customers’ cargo to the main destinations worldwide.
For more information: msc.com