The Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (Asoex) has announced in a press release that the strike which has affected its fruit shipments is now “under control” with operations back to 90 per cent normality.

“Shipments to Europe and other markets have already been re-established and we expect to meet market commitments with no foreseeable problems,” noted Ronald Bown, chairman of the board at Asoex.

Bown confirmed that those fruit exports that had been affected by the strike, including table grapes, apples, kiwifruit, late plums, pomegranates, clementines, and other citrus, will now start up and fulfil “previously entrusted commitments” in foreign markets.

Dockworkers tooks trike action at a number of Chilean ports, paralysing exports of copper, fruit and Wood pulp.

Chile’s key fruit export terminal, the Port of San Antonio, was among those hit by the stand-off which lasted almost two weeks.

The Port of Valparaíso, the nation’s other major fruit export hub, managed to absorb some of the traffic and continue operating but the facility was also hampered by its own smaller workers’ strike.

For the fruit industry, the stand-off led to a harvesting suspension from Friday 5 April onwards, as losses reached millions of dollars.

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