On April 23, the first stone was laid to construct the maritime terminal in the Gulf of Urabá. Construction is estimated to be completed by 2025. The port has projected an investment plan of nearly US$400 million for the construction of a pier with five berthing positions and a double lane viaduct for the traffic of trucks between the platform and the port on land, which will allow the fluidity of up to eight tractor-trailers. The concession will last for 30 years, and the port terminal will be designed to serve container ships of up to 366 meters in length and 14,000 cargo containers, with a depth of 14.5 meters.

A.P. Møller - Mærsk A/S (APMM) has realized a financial performance for the first quarter of 2022 ahead of previous expectations with a revenue of USD 19.3bn, an underlying EBITDA of USD 9.2bn and an underlying EBIT of USD 7.9bn. The strong result is driven by the continuation of the exceptional market situation within Ocean, which has led to a 7% decline in volumes and an average 71% increase in freight rates compared to Q1 2021.

Three months have passed since the Cumbre Vieja volcano went dormant, and now it's time to recover what was lost. That is why it is essential to remember La Palma and the more than 500 families that depend on the cultivation of bananas in the Canary Islands. An activity that depends on legal measures to recover the sector generates more than 10,000 jobs throughout the island. Without cultivation, there is no work, and the lava damaged some areas of fertile ground.

The Government of Ecuador described as successful the meeting held in Berlin (Germany) between Latin American banana producers and European buyers, who insisted that they comply with the commitments of shared responsibility. Pedro Alava, Minister of Agriculture of Ecuador, the world's leading banana exporter, stated this last January called together the region's Ministers of Agriculture to demand respect for the price of the fruit.

There is a distinct feeling of déjà vu about the current lockdowns in China, with spot rates declining as carriers scramble for export cargo from shuttered manufacturing. But rates could spike again when the flood gates reopen for the delayed orders. "It's almost like a traffic jam," said Container xChange CEO and cofounder Christian Roeloffs. "Some people have now stepped on the brakes heavily, which will lead to a significant build-up in demand for freight services, which will be unleashed once the factories reopen.

Dole has reported higher profits and earnings for 2021 after a transformational year for the company. Dole said its revenues for the year to the end of December jumped by 48.5% to $6.5 billion compared to 2020, while adjusted EBITDA increased by 15.3% to $290.1m Last July, Total Produce acquired the remaining 55% of Dole Food Company to create Dole plc. Following the deal, Dole said it had increased significantly in scale, and geographical footprint and Dole said its total assets increased by 147.5% to $4.7 billion.

Performance Team, a Maersk company, announced Monday it is building a 283,000-square-foot cold storage logistics facility in Baytown, Texas, about 26 miles east of Houston. According to a brochure from the Performance Team, the facility will feature a 90-foot temperature-controlled loading dock, the largest in the logistics industry. “Cold chain demand in the U.S. Gulf continues strong and we see a strategic opportunity to expand capacity and introduce a more integrated supply chain to make it easier for exporters and importers,” Diogo Lobo, regional head of cold chain for Maersk North America, said in a statement.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has trained scientists from six Latin American countries to use nuclear and related techniques to detect and contain TR4. The training included the development of genetic disease resistance in bananas. One of the most devastating banana diseases globally, the Fusarium TR4 wilt, spreads rapidly. In response to an urgent request from affected countries, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi pledged that the IAEA would provide immediate assistance in combating the disease and preventing it from causing further damage, working together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

A financial crash looms in Russia as sanctions lead to soaring prices, sending people into panic-buying mode. The cost of products from medicine to electronic devices has shot up because of the West's response to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Goods whose prices were capped and are reportedly not anymore are driving Russians to stock up in fear they will get even more expensive as the war continues. Drastic changes in imported goods are anticipated. According to the state statistics service, the average price for new cars made by foreign manufacturers was 16 per cent higher last week than in February.

On February 16th, new licenses for importing bananas were issued and released to importers in Algeria. Since October of 2021, no licenses have been given, and only small volumes of bananas were imported by container using the remaining licenses of 2020. Volumes, however, have been much lower than those which entered the Maghreb country when more permits were released until October of 2021. Following the path of the previous year, in 2022, no banana import permits were released in the first three months of the year.

At first, Unified Command Post - PMU of 2022, held in Santa Marta, were presented the progress of actions and the fulfilment of commitments and the activities being carried out to contain the dispersion of TR4 in the department of Magdalena. The protocols are based on the experience obtained managing the Fusarium in La Guajira. The conditions of current conditions of the disease in the entire country were also analyzed. The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Minister of Agricultural Affairs, Juan Gonzalo Botero Botero.

The container offers traceability on the position and status of shippers’ refrigerated goods to ensure they travel in optimal conditions. Supply chain management is facilitated through an intuitive online interface that is updated in real time. The containers are equipped with Emerson technology allowing shippers to: • Monitor the status and conditions of your container in real time. • Receive key data such as location, temperature and gas variations. • Set up notifications to detect possible anomalies and quickly implement corrective measures.

Costa Rica’s Second Space Mission Seeks Cure for The Panama Disease Race 4 -TR4- the plague that affects causes Banana Plantations Worldwide. The mission aims to take the fungus responsible for the Panama Disease to the International Space Station to generate information for a possible cure by studying the effects of microgravity in its in genic expressions. This mission is called MUSA Project and was developed by Costa Rican start-up Orbital Space Technologies.

Asbama, the Association of banana growers from Magdalena, La Guajira, and Cesar in Colombia, endorses and supports the call made by the Minister of Agriculture, Rodolfo Zea, within the framework of the Latin American Ministerial Summit of the banana producing countries. The minister had asked the European Union to recognize the cost of Latin American bananas' production given the efforts these countries make to comply with environmental certifications and quality seals.

Panamanian ports have posted record growth and cargo volume in 2021, reaching 8.62m teu and an increase of 11.5% compared to 7.73m teu the year before. It was also the first time Panama passed the 8m teu Milestone. Various terminals registered double-digit growth, the highest, 47.5%, at Evergreen's Colon Container Terminal (CCT) with 1.05m teu, a growth not seen in many years. Between 2002 and 2007, the terminal had experienced similar annual growth rates, CCT President Stephen Shafer said.