Crowley and Customized Brokers Clear First Uruguayan Citrus into the U.S. in 20 Years
The first shipment of Uruguayan citrus into the US in almost 20 years has been cleared through customs. The successful shipment was a joint effort by Customized Brokers, USDA and Uruguayan Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Customized Brokers is a Miami-based subsidiary of Crowley Maritime Corporation.
Two refrigerated containers were cleared through customs and arrived at the Packer Avenue Marine Terminal in South Philadelphia, according to a press release. The shipment served as a test run, ahead of Uruguay's citrus season, which runs from May through September.
“Taking part in a milestone such as this allows Customized Brokers to foster relationships with vested parties in the Uruguayan citrus program and expose them to the interrelated and complementary services Crowley is able to offer to perishables shippers throughout the Caribbean Basin and beyond,” said Donohue.
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services recently issued a new rule which allowed the importation from Uruguay of several varieties of fresh citrus, citrus hybrids, and the citrus-related genus Fortunella. The agency enforces strict sanitation and pest control requirements for these kinds of imports.
It has been estimated that the new imports will allow Uruguay to export about $20 million in citrus annually, and will directly benefit 15,000 Uruguayan citrus growers.
Although initial shipments will be delivered to Philadelphia, there are plans to import the fruit into South Florida. A recently announced pilot program that currently allows for the clearance of cold-treatment perishables such as blueberries and grapes from Peru and Uraguay is expected to be expanded to include citrus.
Allowing the perishables to enter Florida will benefit shippers and southern-based consumers. The change would also have the added environmental benefit of reducing emissions. If the pilot program goes well, it is expected to be expanded to allow the importation of additional new products.
Customized Brokers
Crowley Maritime Corporation
