Cool Carriers' Ivar Reefer vessel kicked off the Cool Carriers' Chilean grape season on the U.S. West Coast on December 31.

Departing from the Port of Coquimbo on January 3, the Ivar Reefer fruit arrived at the Port of Los Angeles this week, carrying more than 5,300 pallets of grapes and stone fruit. The Port is currently the only U.S. West Coast port receiving specialised refrigerated cargo ships that have palletised fruit from this South American agricultural hub.

"We have become the main stop for Chilean fruit imports on the West Coast that gets distributed as far north as Canada and as far east as Texas," said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. "Being able to accommodate and efficiently process a variety of cargo for our customers – such as the fresh breakbulk shipment today – continues to be an important priority for our Port."

In 2021, the Port of Los Angeles invested nearly $1 million to upgrade its breakbulk building at Berths 54-55, a marine terminal operated by SSA Marine. The building serves as the Port's main staging area for pallets of Chilean produce, which SSA Marine then quickly distributes using the Port's vast network of refrigerated trucking services and cold storage facilities. For over 25 years, Chilean growers have relied on this dedicated port terminal to deliver fresh produce to North America's consumer markets.

Currently, in the same terminal where the Ivar Reefer loaded, the Puerto Coquimbo Terminal (TPC), work is being done to load 3,700 pallets with fresh fruit aboard the reefer Ice Glacier.

Loading operations for this fruit began in the first shift on Monday, January 15. They ended on Thursday, January 18, as stated in the shipping planning of the concessionaire of the Port of Coquimbo.

The Cool Carriers ship arrived from the Valparaiso Port Terminal (TPV), and once the loading operations were completed, left for the East Coast of the United States to the Gloucester City Terminal, operated by Holt Logistics. 

The following Cool Carriers ship to load at TPC will be the Baltic Summer, which is currently in Valparaiso Bay.