<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"> Wilmington, DE-</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By Jordan Okumura<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">12.18.12</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p>The year’s first shipment of Chilean winter fruit has hit U.S. on Monday December 17th onboard Pacific Seaways’ chartered refrigerated breakbulk vessel m/v Polarstream. Chilean Ambassador Felipe Bulnes, Delaware Governor Jack Markell, Chile’s Exporters Association (ASOEX) President Ronald Bown, Pacific Seaways Executive Director Francisco Labarca and Port officials were there to welcome the shipment. Wilmington boasts the nation’s leading marine terminal for imports of perishable cargoes and a major port of entry and distribution center for Chilean fruit, according to a news release.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/hl_chileanproduce_dec_2012_BANNER.jpg" alt="images121812" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The harvest in Chile between late November and April pairs well with the North American consumer demand for the fruit. The m/v Polarstream will discharge nearly 6,600 pallets of table grapes, blueberries, cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and plums at the Port of Wilmington.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/IMG_1253.jpg" alt="images121812" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“We are gathered here today to commemorate the strong fruit trade partnership that exists between Chile and the state of Delaware, reflected by the arrival of the first vessel of the 2012/2013 season carrying Chilean fruit at the Port of Wilmington, one of the main gateways in the East Coast for shipments of Chilean fresh fruit. Over the past decades this industry has been one of the most dynamic and innovative sectors of the Chilean economy and the US is the main destination market for our agricultural products. We look forward to further strengthening the relationship between Chile and the State of Delaware,” said Ambassador Felipe Bulnes.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">“We are excited and honored that Delaware’s seaport is the doorway through which Chilean fruit enters into North American homes this holiday season,” said Governor Jack Markell. “Our robust bilateral trade and long and strong friendship with Chile create many good jobs and stimulates the economies on both sides of the equator and we are working to continue growing it into the future,” he added.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/IMG_1240.jpg" alt="images121812" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Port of Wilmington handled 15.9 million cases of Chilean fruit at estimated retail value of $600 million during the 2011-2012 season.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://news.delaware.gov/2012/12/17/chilean-ambassador-bulnes-and-governor-jack-markell-welcome-the-arrival-of-the-first-chilean-fruit-vessel-to-the-us-for-the-2012-2013-season-at-the-port-of-wilmington-delaware" target="_new">Delaware State News</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
