Market Development: Port Everglades

 

The first shipment of Colombian Hass avocados into the United States arrived November 6 at Port Everglades. The shipment marks the culmination of years of work by Colombia to gain access to the U.S. market.

 

The inaugural shipment, a container packed with 18 tons of avocados, left Cartagena on November 2 aboard Hapag-Lloyd's Dubai Express, just two months after the U.S. Department of Agriculture opened access to Colombia as a source of the fruit.

 

"We have been actively expanding our perishables market for years, and this is a huge welcome for produce from Colombia," said Steven Cernak, PPM®, chief executive and port director of Port Everglades. "Port Everglades is the leading perishables seaport in Florida with easy access to 19 million consumers in the region."

 

From Port Everglades, the avocados were delivered by truck to Mission Produce's distribution center in Atlanta (GA).

 

"We celebrate this major achievement of the commercial relations between the United States and Colombia," said Juan Barrera, executive director, U.S. Agribusiness, PROCOLOMBIA. "Today marks a historical event for Colombian agriculture and we are excited of the years to come."