Exporters face potential losses as more than 250 containers apparently remain stuck, with shippers competing to redirect cargo worth millions
Almost 5,000 tonnes of French apples are stuck on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a news report on the French television channel TF1.
Exporters affected include Blue Whale, which is understood to be trying to identify a new destination for its own consignment of 1,200 tones – worth an estimated €1.5mn – originally bound for Dubai.
The company’s president Christophe Belloc told the channel it faced “fierce” competition from other shippers who find themselves, metaphorically speaking, in the same boat.
“We’re talking about perishable fruit,” he commented. “We’re also in a war zone where insurers refuse to provide coverage or have very specific conditions for insuring goods.”
A total of 252 containers packed with French apples are currently at sea waiting to be discharged and transferred to buyers in the Gulf, according to Daniel Sauvaitre, president of national association Interfel.
