Less than ten days before the deadline for the registration of contracts between producers and exporters for 2024, only a reduced number of agreements have been signed between the parts. The deadline is December 31, as stipulated in the Ley del Banano or Banana Law, which regulates the fruit trade.

MSC has announced the surcharges it plans to add to European box exports to Asia as its vessels avoid the Suez Canal following the recent attacks in the Red Sea. The firm plans to charge an extra $500/TEU, $1,000/FEU and $1,500 per reefer container for European exports to the Far East and Middle East, it said in a customer advisory on December 20.

The National Banana Corporation (CORBANA) updated the "Model for the formulation of a recommendation of the minimum starting price for a box of bananas", which was presented to the producers, banana marketers and representatives of the three Ministries that signed the Executive Decree fixing the minimum price for the banana box for export.

Through Advisory to Shipping No. A-54-2023, the Panama Canal announced today that it will increase the number of daily transits to 24 starting in January for the benefit of its customers. Currently, 22 vessels transit daily, divided into 6 Neopanamax and 16 Panamax. This restriction is in response to the challenges posed by the current state of Gatun Lake, which is experiencing unusually low water levels for this time of the year due to the drought induced by the El Niño phenomenon.

Banapiña-Fresh Del Monte reported that the fruits they produce on their farms in Panama will be acquired by banana company Chiquita as of January. "As we reported weeks ago, we are going to sell the bananas produced on our land to a third party, which will be 'Chiquita,'" they said in a statement.

C.I. Tecnicas Baltime De Colombia S.A., as an international marketer of conventional and organic bananas and plantains, is highly committed to corporate responsibility. Examples are its international certifications in Quality Management, Compliance with Environmental Standards, and Control and Safety Management, as well as its "Foundation for the Development of the Banana Zone of Santa Marta – FUNDEBAN".

One company claims to have cracked the technology necessary to offer carriers and shippers the data they will need to meet the EU ETS regulation with the required accuracy. VesselBot (V.B.), a tech start-up based in northern Athens, has developed a digital system for measuring vessel emissions over the last two years.

Small banana producers have announced the suspension of their mobilisation. An agreement with the management of the Banamart banana group was reached, although negotiations continue. The blockades erected in front of the Banamart packing plant in Ducos since December 18 have been lifted.

Saint Lucia's Agriculture Minister, Hon Alfred Prospere, shared a positive update on the banana industry, which had suffered a severe setback following Tropical Storm Bret earlier this year. According to him, weekly banana exports have increased to 3,500 boxes and are expected to reach approximately 9,000 in the next eight weeks.

Biosecurity Queensland has negotiated ongoing market access arrangements that allow Queensland banana growers to certify fruit harvested from fallen plants for up to two weeks after a tropical cyclone. General Manager Plant Biosecurity and Chief Plant Health Manager Michael Reid said growers would have an additional two-week supply of bananas, which they could sell destined for interstate market access following Cyclone Jasper.

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In continued efforts to ensure the safety of crew, vessels, and cargo amid the ongoing developments in the Red Sea region, CMA CGM would like to provide you with the necessary information regarding the re-routing of several vessels from their intended route through the Cape of Good Hope.

In four years of port operation in Ecuador, DP World Posorja mobilises 20% of the Andean country's foreign trade. By the end of 2024, its market share is estimated to grow to 35%. The deep-water port began operating in 2019, and in recent days, expectations were generated with the announcement of Maersk changing its logistics services from the Contecon port in Guayaquil to Posorja. Forecasts are that, by 2024, Posorja will handle about 800,000 containers.

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) reviewed all available options to minimise the impact on its operations following a drop in water levels in the waterway's reservoirs. There was no single solution, so the ACP summarised the measures to address this challenge. In a statement, the ACP also unveiled long-term solutions and answers to frequently asked questions from customers and strategic partners.

The Association of Banana Growers of Magdalena and La Guajira–Asbama and the Colombian Agricultural Institute – ICA continue to shield the Colombian Caribbean from TR4. This week, the tour is through the municipalities of Ciénaga and Zona Bananera, in the department of Magdalena, where 74 small producers will attend a presentation and receive biosecurity kits to protect their farms.