Business
Cherry milestone falls apart: ship with 1,300 containers full of cherries adrift
A container ship carrying an enormous shipment of cherries to China is adrift in the Pacific Ocean, with uncertainty over its arrival in Asia.
![Cerezas](https://img.asmedia.epimg.net/resizer/v2/W4PTQIHZQZCEDFTRIJI3L2XWKE.jpg?auth=8baeda9ca3b87a1a7c91304cc7e6c6510c6fa034cd510fd3772433c782d52a05&width=360&height=203&focal=1003%2C695)
A cargo ship carrying 1,300 containers of cherries from Chile to China is currently adrift in the middle of the ocean.
The enormous shipment was expected to represent a milestone in export history, but now there’s a risk of multi-million dollar losses for producers.
Uncertainty over cherry shipment’s arrival in China
The mega ship, the Saltoro, departed South America on December 27, but a technical failure has left the vessel stranded in the Pacific Ocean since January 13.
Originally, the ship was scheduled to reach China on January 20, but the new estimated arrival date is February 6, causing significant uncertainty.
The cherries will no longer arrive in time for Chinese New Year, which is held on January 29, 2025, and is a crucial time of year for selling this product in China.
The delay also threatens the quality of the cherries and, in turn, their competitiveness in an already saturated market.
Chile’s cherry industry increasingly China-dependent
Last year, Chile experienced a record volume in cherry exports, with 122 million boxes shipped to various countries.
However, with the vast majority of Chilean cherry shipments (91.83%) destined for China, this growth has led to an oversupply that has significantly lowered the price of cherries bought by the Asian nation, with returns for producers dropping by more than $2 per pound.
Indeed, it has become a major concern for cherry growers that their production costs might not even be covered.
In response to this situation, the Chilean cherry-production industry is evaluating strategies to diversify its markets, especially towards other Asian and Latin American destinations, to reduce its heavy reliance on China.
Article originally written in Spanish, before being translated with the assistance of AI and edited by William Allen.
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