The Canary Islands are harvesting the hope and hard work of a farmer who has restored his crop on the volcano's lava flows over the past three years," reports Europlátano in a press release. "In September 2021, the lives of thousands of families on the island of La Palma were disrupted by the volcanic eruption that destroyed homes, schools, farms, and the livelihoods of many residents. Today, we are taking another small step towards the reconstruction of the Aridane Valley with the harvest of the first crop from a farm rebuilt on the lava flow," it emphasises.

In week 03, approximately 2.17 million boxes of bananas were discharged in St. Petersburg, which was considered a significant volume given the weak demand following the long holiday period. The primary prices ranged from USD 16.70 to 17.65 per box CIF depending on the brand, volume, and packaging. The expected volume for week 04 is 1.35 million boxes. As for the exchange rate, it stood at 102.38 RUB to the US Dollar. The Russian Ruble has experienced notable fluctuations over the past weeks. As of January 17, 2025, the Ruble traded at approximately 102.47 to the US Dollar, marking a slight improvement from its lowest point of 115 to the US Dollar on January 1, 2025. However, it has recently been weakening again. Various factors, including sanctions, inflationary pressures, and economic policies, have affected the value of the Ruble. Selling prices for Ecuadorean bananas in the Mediterranean ranged from USD 14.00 to USD 15.00 per-box, cost, insurance, and freight (CIF). In Libya, however, prices were higher at USD 16.00 per-box CIF for Ecuadorean bananas. For Central American bananas, the prices were approximately USD 14.00 per box CIF.

On January 16, the "Guayaquil Banana Gateway" refrigerated warehouses were inaugurated at Contecon's Pier No. 5 in the Maritime Port of Guayaquil. These state-of-the-art facilities will store perishable products requiring refrigeration before loading as part of Cool Carriers' exclusive premium service. During the inauguration ceremony, Nikolay Pavlyuchenko, General Manager of UNIREEFER, the General Agent of Cool Carriers in Ecuador, Peru, and Argentina, spoke about the Company's journey:

Hapag-Lloyd has reached a significant milestone by delivering its 300th vessel, making it the largest fleet in the Company's history since its founding in 1847. This achievement solidifies its position as the fifth-largest container shipping company. The newly chartered vessel, Nordatlantic, has a capacity of 24,480 deadweight tons (dwt). It is not the largest in the fleet. Still, it is joined by two sister ships, Nordbaltic and Nordpuma, which Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Co. is building.

Maersk has announced it will redirect its MECL Service route from Spain's Port of Algeciras to Morocco's Tanger Med Port, representing a significant transformation in Mediterranean maritime logistics. According to Spanish media reports, the change will take effect from February 24, when the Maersk Atlanta 509W makes its first call at the new rotation. The MECL service connects India, Pakistan, and the Middle East with the United States East Coast and will no longer stop at Algeciras on its westbound journey.

Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), has delivered the first 16,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel containership ordered by Minsheng Financial Leasing (MSFL) on behalf of Swiss shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). According to the shipbuilder, the MSC Viola vessel was delivered 172 days ahead of schedule on January 9, 2025, at its Tianjin shipyard.

Peru's banana exports in November 2024 totalled 11,315 tons, worth USD 9.6 million, marking an increase of 8% in volume and 4% in value compared to the same month of the previous year. These positive results have surpassed the cumulative total for the entire year 2023 (January-November), reporting shipments of 148,526 tons (+7%) for USD 130.6 million (+12%). In November this year, 95% of bananas were fresh and 5% processed. Export logistics were mainly channelled through Terminales Portuarios Euroandinos – Paita, which managed 97% of shipments, followed by DP World with 2%.

In St. Petersburg, banana prices during the first week of January ranged from USD 17.30 to 17.80 per box CIF according to brand, volume and packing. The demand was sluggish due to the extended holiday, which concluded on January 8. This prolonged break led to decreased demand and, consequently, lower prices compared to the previous week. The exchange rate stood at 1 USD = 101.68 RUB. In the Mediterranean, Ecuadorean bananas were sold at prices ranging from approximately USD 14.50 to 15.50 per box CIF, influenced by brand, weight, volume, region, and packaging factors.Prices in Algeria were higher than other markets and traders were able to achieve USD 24.0-25.0 per box CIF. Central and Southern American Bananas were priced around USD 1 lower per box. In th Mersin Free Zone, Ecuadorean bananas were re-exported to neighbouring countries and sold for about USD 15.00 to 16.50 per box, while Central American bananas were priced USD 1.00 to 2.00 lower per box. Volumes were lower than the previous week, but demand from neighbouring countries, except Iran, increased. The exchange rate was 1 USD = 35.36 TL.

Based on current figures, banana producers in Paraguay expect to end 2024 with approximately USD 31 million in export revenues. Hugo Franco, a banana producer, confirmed that considering the numbers obtained throughout 2024, expectations for the end of the year in terms of the export of this fruit are encouraging. Franco explained in an interview with the GEN channel that, according to data from the Exporter's Single Window, exports had reached just over USD 28 million in revenue by the end of November.

According to Adama Dabo, the head of the "Women and Resilient Agriculture" (FAR) project, the project has invested approximately 1 billion CFA francs in essential infrastructure to boost banana production in Senegal in the Sédhiou region (south). "With an investment of around 1 billion CFA francs, the Women and Resilient Agriculture project has developed essential infrastructure to support local agriculture," said Mr Dabo. He noted that five market garden blocks have been equipped and fenced, with boreholes and pumping equipment installed. This allows for efficient water management and protection against wandering animals.

SeaCube has partnered with Greensee to launch innovative solutions that redefine sustainability in the refrigerated transport sector. This collaboration introduces SeaCube's Green and Net-Zero Reefer Leases, powered by Greensee's AI-driven CO2 emissions reporting technology. It sets a new standard for energy efficiency and environmental responsibility in cold chain logistics. SeaCube is also working with Thermo King® a leader in transport temperature control solutions and a brand of Trane Technologies, and CMA CGM to field-test Thermo King's E-COOLPAC electric genset, one of the first battery-powered refrigerated container gensets in the United States.

DP World San Antonio concluded the 2024 cherry season with an increase of more than 100% in export volume compared to the previous year, with 11 ship calls and nearly 5,400 containers of exported cargo, more than 12.8 million boxes of cherries. This increase allowed the export of cherries through important shipping lines such as ZIM, MSC, MSK and Global Reefer, guaranteeing greater logistical capacity and efficiency. Juan Carlos Carvacho, Operations Senior Manager of DP World San Antonio

With the Korea-Philippines FTA taking effect on December 31, banana tariffs will drop 6 per cent every year from the current 30 per cent, disappearing entirely in five years. Southeast Asian countries are the primary source of Korea's bananas. The Philippines is expected to save $189 million on banana exports over five years as the Philippines-South Korea free trade agreement (FTA) comes into force, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Export Marketing Bureau Director Bianca Pearl R. Sykimte stated that the FTA will immediately reduce tariffs for Philippine banana exports by six percentage points this year.

Laos, a key banana supplier to China, has successfully delivered nearly 450 tons of bananas to Pinggu, Beijing, via the China-Laos Railway. The international cold chain special train, also known as the 'Beijing-Yunnan-Vientiane' line, departed from Vientiane, Laos, on November 24. This marks the beginning of regular operations for this new service, with plans to expand its operations to include more fresh produce shortly.

The Container Terminal of Marín, known as Termarín, is part of the Pérez Torres Group, one of the leading port operators on the Peninsula, with a presence in Spain, Portugal, and China. With a wide range of logistics services in more than 49 countries, it has become a benchmark in international port logistics.