Cargo Business Newswire

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Chiquita makes shipping deal with MSC

Chiquita Brands International shipping line Great White Fleet has reportedly entered into a vessel-sharing agreement with Mediterranean Shipping Co. to create a service that will utilize five MSC container ships to haul Chiquita fruit.

The MSC ships will sail from Central America to the U.S. East Coast, Gulf Coast and the Bahamas, according to a Federal Maritime Commission filing.

Chiquita said in May it would move its Gulf Coast operations from Gulfport, Miss., to New Orleans, and MSC routinely berths its ships at the Port of New Orleans’ Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal.

The produce company has been looking for a location at the Port of New Orleans to construct a 40,000-square-foot ripening shed or move into an existing facility and wants to move out of leased space in Gulfport to start operating in New Orleans by October.

Port of New Orleans officials said Friday they have not heard whether the agreement between Great White Fleet and MSC means that Chiquita has found the space it needs for a ripening facility.

Meanwhile, Chiquita has pushed back a vote until October on its prospective merger with Irish fruit company Fyffes, which would form the world’s largest banana supplier. Chiquita is awaiting a final offer from Cutrale and Safra, a Brazilian partnership that had previously offered $611 million.

For more of the New Orleans City Business story: neworleanscitybusiness.com

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