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Chiquita, Port Freeport Sign 5-year Lease

[ July 12, 2024   //   ]

Port Freeport in Texas has reached a five-year lease agreement with Chiquita Fresh North America, with an option for an additional five years, which the port said marks “a milestone in their ongoing partnership.”
“We are extremely excited about the continued partnership with Chiquita,” said Phyllis Saathoff, executive director/CEO of Port Freeport. “This agreement solidifies the commitment between Chiquita and Port Freeport, a relationship that dates back to 1993.”
Port Commission Chairman Ravi Singhania said its relationship with Chiquita helped establish Port Freeport “as the green fruit capital of the U.S. Gulf.” Besides Chiquita, the port also serves fruit shippers Dole Fresh Fruit and Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc.
“The resounding economic impact of the agreement with Chiquita will be continuously felt locally, in the Brazosport area, throughout the Greater Houston Region, across the State of Texas and the United States,” Singhania added.
Through its commitment to Chiquita, Port Freeport is determined to continually improve operationally efficiency and safety through the expansion and modernization of its Velasco Container Terminal.
Chiquita’s import volumes continue to grow at Port Freeport. This agreement allows Chiquita to move forward with installation of an additional 50 reefer plugs in their leased premises to accommodate their growth. Chiquita also provides connections for local manufacturers to export their products to Central America.
Port Freeport is a leading port for crude oil and natural gas liquids exports, and ranks nationally as sixth in chemicals, 15th in total foreign waterborne tonnage, and 26th in containers.
Other Port Freeport customers include Alliera, Atlantic Container Lines, AMPORTS, BASF, The Dow Chemical Co., Enterprise Products Partners, ExxonMobil, Freeport LNG, Ford Motor Co., General Motors, Glovis, Grimaldi Lines, Hoegh Autoliners, Kirby Marine, Liberty Global Logistics, Linde, MEGlobal, NYK RORO, Phillips 66, Riviana Foods Inc., Sallaum Lines, Tenaris, U.S Department of Energy, Volkswagen Group of America, and Vulcan Materials Co.

Del Monte Inaugural Call

Port Freeport leaders welcomed the Del Monte Spirit to Valasco Container Terminal on its inaugural call, signifying the start of Del Monte’s operation at and regular service at the port.
Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. recently completed a partial retrofit of Velasco Container Terminal’s 927-foot Berth 8 and is working on the new Gate 12 Entrance. It has also installed 688 electrical receptacles to receive imported fruit from their weekly service.
The Del Monte Spirit, launched in 2020, along with five sister vessels, has a cargo capacity of 1,276 20-foot equivalent units, and can 634 40-foot high-cube refrigerated containers. This newer fleet of ships have fuel-efficient hull designs and emissions-reducing scrubber systems.

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