DHL Global Forwarding announced that it has set a record number of charters in 2013 transporting perishables from South America. The busiest routes were Chile to Asia and Argentina to the US, the freight specialist said.
The company, which launched in 2009 providing six exclusive charters from Argentina and 10 from Chile, specialises in transporting perishables for medium-sized exporters.
“Despite freezing temperatures, heavy rain, hail and a gloomy forecast for the 2013/14 blueberry and cherry season in Argentina and Chile, charters transporting these delicate fruits proved to be exceptional,” said Roland Zach, vice president of Starbroker and head of global charters at DHL Global Forwarding. “We have been working diligently with our in-house carrier StarBroker to help exporters supply an eager Asian market and fill a gap for fresh fruit during certain peak seasons.”
For StarBroker, DHL Global Forwarding’s in-house airfreight carrier and charter broker, this season’s record charters on their MD11F flights from Santiago, Chile to Miami, Fla. resulted in close to 30 flights.
Starting in 2012, for the first time in DHL Global Forwarding’s history, flights were sent directly from Chile to South Korea and then distributed to various locations in Asia. The Chilean blueberries and cherries are meeting an increasing need for these fruits in China, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Japan, South Korea and Singapore, among other markets. For Argentina, DHL Global Forwarding via StarBroker transported close to 20 charter flights of blueberries from Tucumán Airport in northern Argentina to Miami for distribution in the US during the 2013 season.
“We have trusted DHL Global Forwarding for five years to transport our blueberries from the south of Chile to Santiago and finally to Miami,” said Jose Hidalgo, of Chilean exporter Alpine Fresh. “We have chosen DHL for their efficient service, rates, expertise and optimal resolution of any exceptions in origin and destination. The safe arrival of our fresh fruit represents the hard work and livelihood of our employees.”
Luis D’Andrea, CEO of Argentina’s Expofresh said that the perishable nature of blueberries and highly sensitive and rigorous handling involved meant the product can only be handled by an experienced company.
“DHL’s highly professional staff gives us peace of mind, efficiency and predictability when transporting our fruit,” he said. “Our partnership positioned us among the first direct flights from Tucumán to Miami, helping us to get our product to its final destinations in a shorter amount of time while maintaining its freshness.”
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