ASOEX joins Chilean President on visit to port of Wilmington
ASOEX joins Chilean President on visit to port of Wilmington
Ronald Bown, president of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX), accompanied Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on her first visit to Delaware and the port of Wilmington. They were joined by Chile’s Minister of Agriculture Carlos Furche, Foreign Trade Minister Heraldo Muñoz and other ASOEX representatives.
President Bachelet’s visit took place just three weeks after the "zero tariff" came into effect for all Chilean products entering the United States.
Ronald Bown, president of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association, with President of Chile Michelle Bachelet and Gene Bailey, executive director of the port of Wilmington. This is the last stage of the tariff reduction schedule established after the United States and Chile signed a Free Trade Agreement in June 2003.
The port of Wilmington welcomes around 16 million boxes of Chilean fruit between the months of November and April, enabling North American consumers to enjoy summer fruits during the winter months. More than half of Chilean fruit exports to the U.S. travel through Delaware River ports, with 835 jobs at the port of Wilmington tied to the Chilean fruit trade.
During this first visit by a Chilean president to Delaware, the delegation met with Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and members of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. In a public ceremony, President Bachelet unveiled a plaque commemorating the first visit to Delaware and the port of Wilmington by a Chilean president. The plaque was sponsored by ASOEX.
“ASOEX welcomes the opportunity to join President Bachelet on this visit. It highlights the work that has been done by Chile’s fresh fruit industry, in conjunction with the government, to establish the U.S. as a key market for our fruit,” Bown said in a press release. “The United States remains Chile’s largest market for fresh fruit exports. Last season, more than 750,000 metric tons were shipped to the U.S., with grapes, apples, blueberries, cherries, citrus and avocados the top items."
The current Chilean fresh fruit season is in full swing, with steady arrivals of grapes, blueberries and stone fruit. Favorable weather conditions have resulted in strong quality, and volume increases are expected across all commodities.