The first ship of 2024 with Chilean fruit arrived at the Port of Los Angeles this week, carrying more than 5,300 pallets of table grapes and stone fruit.

According to a press release issued by the port, it is the only one in the U.S. West Coast that receives specialized refrigerated cargo vessels carrying palletized fruit from Chile.

Departing from the Port of Coquimbo on January 3, the Ivar Reefer was operated by Cool Carriers, a company specialized in directly transporting fruit and other fresh produce. The modern refrigeration and ventilation systems, as well as the thermal insulation of its vessels, allow for optimal conditions and minimal risk of damage to the perishable cargo.

The vessel is the first of dozens that will arrive at the Port of Los Angeles, during the winter season, from January to early April.

"We have become the primary stop for Chilean fruit imports on the West Coast that are distributed as far north as Canada and as far east as Texas," Port of Los Angeles executive director Gene Seroka noted in the release, adding that "being able to efficiently accommodate and process a variety of cargo for our customers - such as today's fresh breakbulk shipment - remains 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 products, which SSA Marine then quickly distributes using the Port's extensive network of refrigerated truck services and cold storage facilities.

For more than 25 years, Chilean growers have relied on this specialized port terminal to deliver their fresh produce to North American consumer markets.