Russian company Fesco FESH. MM has stated that it is in negotiations to establish a shipping route between Russia and Latin America, driven by the need to supply bananas from Ecuador to the Russian market.
Bananas are one of the most popular fruits among Russian consumers and, according to NielsenIQ data, accounted for 21.7% of fruit sales (in value) between January and October this year.
As Reuters recalls, the West has imposed extensive sanctions against Russia for its actions in Ukraine, and the world's three largest container shipping lines, Denmark's Maersk, France's CMA CGM, and MSC, which is based in Switzerland, suspended reservations to and from Russia.
"We are currently negotiating with our retail partners, who are interested in restoring lost routes," stated Andrei Severilov, the chairman of Fesco's board of directors. The company is mainly discussing the delivery of bananas from Ecuador, as well as agricultural products from other Latin American countries, he added.
Severilov said the key problem was the lack of a large-capacity fleet and that Fesco plans to buy ships with up to 7,000 TEUS, i.e. more than twice the capacity it has today.
Source: mascontainer.com