President Iván Marambio said a settlement would avoid lengthy litigation
Frutas de Chile said it is hoping for an out-of-court resolution to the Maersk Saltoro case, which caused millions of dollars of losses to cherry exporters when the China-bound vessel became stranded in the Pacific at the height of the Chilean export season.
Last week, a civil court in Valparaíso, Chile decided to suspend proceedings initiated by Maersk Shipping to establish a liability limitation fund of approximately US$16.3mn to compensate Chilean exporters affected by the fiasco.
Exporters argue that the compensation limit should be far higher than fund limit proposed by Maersk and are calling for the case to be heard in London or Hong Kong instead of Chile.
According to Frutas de Chile’s president, Iván Marambio, has suggested it would be preferable for exporters to make direct claims against the shipping company, either directly or through the insurance companies involved in the incident, thereby avoiding lengthy litigation.
“The final issue must be resolved between insurers and Maersk, not in court. We believe they will be up to the task,” Marambio said.
Marambio noted that although Maersk has kept a low profile in the media since the incident, behind the scenes it has held ongoing meetings and conversations with the affected exporters and the union.
“We are in decisive hours and we hope everything is resolved amicably, with the future of the industry in mind,” he said.
Marambio acknowledged that 2024/25 had been a challenging season for Chilean cherry exporters, marked by a sharp drop in sales prices. Nevertheless, he stressed that interest from Chinese consumers had been high, and that demand had been “active” throughout the campaign.
Another challenge Chilean companies faced this season was logistical delays in shipments to the US, caused primarily by problems in the Peruvian grape supply chain, which also ended up affecting Chilean exports. However, according to Marambio, this logistical situation has gradually improved.
Asked about the likely impact of Trump’s new tariff regime, Marambio commented: “Any measure that affects the free flow of goods is negative. We hope that tariff tensions will decrease in the coming weeks”.
