A little hope for the cold chain market

Added on 07 February 2025

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Photo Courtesy of Fruit Logistica

There is "a lot of pressure in the system" when it comes to global fresh fruit transport by ship, says Drewry expert Philip Gray. Nevertheless, he sees opportunities for a slight easing in 2025.

The past twelve months have been "really bad" for the refrigerated freight industry, says Philip Gray, reefer analyst at the consultancy Drewry. In the shipping of refrigerated goods such as meat, frozen goods and fruit and vegetables, the entire system and its capacities are under so much pressure that even the smallest disruptions have a massive impact on supply chains. For the fresh fruit trade in particular, there is a constant threat of cancellations and losses, says Gray: "For the fresh fruit sector, the reliability of shipments remains one of the biggest challenges. So the question is: are schedules being adhered to, arrival times, departure times?"

Shifts using the example of Haiti

Gray outlined an example from last year in his keynote speech on the FRUIT LOGISTICA 2025 Logistics Hub stage - namely Haiti: "A small place that nobody usually talks much about. Then the port is closed for three months and the cargoes have to be unloaded at the hubs in Kingston and Cartagena.