Top Transit for Fresh Fruit - MSC's Impact Around the World

Demand for fresh fruit has increased significantly over the past few years and with revenue projected to grow further, it is no wonder that this has become an important area for focused efforts across the supply chain. 

MSC is no exception and is continually evolving its offering to help customers looking to ship this precious perishable cargo. We do this not only by providing containers and ships for high-quality transport – but by accompanying this investment in equipment with relevant expertise and local knowledge from over 1,000 trained reefer experts worldwide.

As part of our continued commitment to delivering fresh fruit and vibrant vegetables, MSC will be attending Fruit Attraction from 3-5 October in Madrid. Now in its 15th year, Fruit Attraction has established itself as a major platform and meeting point for fruit and vegetable operators to create solid business relationships and open opportunities in new markets. 

Visit MSC at IFEMA Hall 4 Stand 4C03 where our trained staff will be sharing their knowledge and answering your questions.

Here are some early insights into what they will be talking about, what solutions MSC is putting in place, and what impact this is having on fresh fruit transit all over the world.

Serbia

 In Serbia, as a landlocked country, we offer flexible reefer solutions via various regional ports and excellent intermodal connections. Our direct service via Rijeka to Middle East, offered together with pickup at any loading point in Serbia, is hugely important for fruit exporters – particularly apple traders – and connects their cargo to one of our most important markets. 

Furthermore, MSC Belgrade also provides full support and consulting services to clients when it comes to fruit export. We hold regular ‘reefer masterclasses’, which are educational sessions that provide our clients with all necessary information they need in terms of packing, loading, setting temperature and ventilation, so that cargo reaches its destination in same condition and quality as at the time of loading.

Ljiljana Lukic, Reefer Specialist, MSC Serbia.

Spain

Spain is one of the world’s top fruit exporters and reefer services and expertise are in high demand as a result. MSC has been able to deploy a tailor-made route from Egypt (Damietta and Alexandria) to Spain (Castellon and Cartagena) which is proving popular with Egyptian fruit and vegetables producers and matches the needs of both exporters in Egypt and importers in Spain. Our dedicated reefer team works with our customers to create flexible and agile logistics solutions with a reliable and accurate service and transit times of just 8 days from Damietta to Castellon.

In addition, MSC Spain launched our Liquid Cargo Solutions, which has been great for our reefer customers transporting fresh fruit juices in bulk. Using a flexi-bag inside a reefer container allows them to transport up to 24,000 litres of chilled fluid easily and safely. Given our clients’ confidence in our system, and the success we have seen so far, we expect continued growth for this kind of commodity.

Julio Nestar, Reefer Manager, MSC Spain 

Canada

Over the last two decades, MSC Canada has become synonymous with excellence in transporting fresh and frozen produce with a meticulously crafted range of tailored services to meet our customers’ specific requirements. Our extensive network encompasses 12 dedicated routes from Canada and strategic port calls including major gateways like Montreal, Corner Brook, Halifax, Saint John, Vancouver, and Prince Rupert.

We have direct connections to the Mediterranean, Far East, Oceania, Asia, Mexico and Middle East via our global service network. These types of services, coupled with notable investments in state-of-the-art warehousing, logistics and gensets underscore our commitment to surpassing clients’ expectations. Combined with our unwavering dedication to exceptional customer service and knowledge development, we care for our client’s valuable cargo expertly throughout its journey.

William Martin, MSC Canada Trade Manager – Specialized Cargo

Costa Rica

Our express services from Costa Rica to Europe and the USA ensure that tropical fruits arrive quickly and in perfect condition for consumers. Our Ecuador Express service means goods from Moin reach Antwerp in just 12 days and Rotterdam in 13 days, putting perfect pineapples, bananas, melons and more on supermarket shelves across Europe. 

Our extensive service network also allows us to offer competitive transit times to destinations in the East / West Mediterranean region and further into the Middle East. In addition, our new Philadelphia Express Service, which started just this year, connects Moin with Philadelphia in only 8 days, opening up new opportunities for pineapple, melon, watermelon and mango producers across the region.

Marcos Nascimento, General Manager, MSC Costa Rica

Saudi Arabia

In Saudi Arabia, our expert teams are specially trained to deliver flexible and cost-effective door-to-door transport solutions across our worldwide sea and inland network. We recently arranged the first transit of a frozen juice shipment for a Chilean customer from Mendoza, Argentina to King Abdullah Port in Saudi Arabia. Our global coverage and ability to match services and synchronise them with the needs of our customers is one of our biggest strengths. 

Rizwan Qureshi, Deputy Reefer Manager, MSC Saudi Arabia

A successful fusion 

With one of the largest and most advanced reefer container fleets in the world, MSC has the equipment and services to transport refrigerated and frozen goods all over the world. But it is the personal touch, expertise and knowledge of our worldwide experts that sets MSC apart. Our ability to combine our industry-leading fleet capacity with the on-the-ground expertise of our MSC people is what makes our services stand out, and what helps our customers ship their cargo safely.

Come and meet our experts at Fruit Attraction, 3 – 5 October in Madrid or find out more about our fruit expertise.

Find out more about Fruit Attraction 2023.