Operator says it achieved record market share and moved 260,000 pallets of cherries, blueberries, grapes and stonefruit in 2025/26
Cool Carriers, the world’s largest operator of specialised reefer vessels, has published its Chilean subsidiary’s operational results for the 2025/26 summer season, which runs from 1 October 2025 to 31 March 2026.
Despite a sharp downturn in demand for imported fruits in the US, Cool Carriers Chile managed another strong performance, it said, moving a total of 260,000 pallets of cherries, blueberries, grapes, and stonefruit to the US.
Cool Carriers Chile operates maritime shipping routes out of the Chilean ports of Coquimbo and Valparaiso, delivering cargo to Gloucester on the East Coast and Los Angeles on the West Coast.
According to the group, its Chile operation moved 178,000 pallets to Gloucester during the stated period across 24 port calls, with an average transit time of 12 days.
This represented a market share of 46.5 per cent (total exports from Chile to the destination over the period, including both reefer and container vessels), with growth of 11 per cent compared with the 2024/25 summer season, it said.
It also reportedly moved 82,000 pallets to Los Angeles across 12 port calls with an average transit time of 12 days, achieving a record market share of 71.3 per cent.
“Our performance over the summer season is a testament to the strength of Cool Carriers’ operating model,” commented Ricardo Barckhahn, general manager of Cool Carriers Chile.
”We achieved strong results despite an overall decline in shipping demand from the Chilean market to Los Angeles of around 25 per cent, and a decline in demand to Gloucester of approximately 17 per cent. This was driven by lower fruit demand, as well as stricter quality and condition requirements.”
He added: “Our specialised offering of dedicated services for fresh fruit and direct routes to its main markets has allowed the company to adapt to the fluctuating market demands that require short transit times and high standards of cold chain control.”
