It is not the earthquake-damaged Chilean ports that concern shippers at the Port of Miami, it is the Chilean infrastructure.
Cargo vessels are regularly coming and going to Chile, and there were plenty of products from Chile already in transit when the earthquake struck -- and it is still coming in.
To this point there has been no noticeable scarcity of Chilean products on the supermarket shelves. Chile exports wine, vegetables, fruits, and fish into the the Port of Miami.
"Miami does about $3 billion worth of import-export business with Chile each year and they are our 8th largest trading partner," said Port Director Bill Johnson.
Miami-based Seaboard Marine brings a major share of the fruit into South Florida through the Port of Miami.
"The concern is the product reaching the central ports," said Executive VP Bruce Brecheisen. Brecheisen said the roads, bridges, communications and the packing plants are all damaged.
Both Johnson and Brecheisen said that before long, ships coming out of Chile will be carrying lighter loads -- at least in the short term. That could affect product prices in the supermarkets but Chilean exporters said they are organized, and the government has plans in place to remedy the transportation issues.
"Authorities have begun the task of repairing highways and bridges that are crucial to the transport of fruit from the growing areas to the ports," said the Chilean Exporters Association, in a statement. "Since the earthquake struck...most areas have remained connected through alternative routes, but there have been inevitable delays in arrival times."
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There is a long road ahead for Chilean exporters, lots of repair, rebuilding and marketing on the horizon. And that long road runs through the Port of Miami, a major player in the Chilean economy and your supermarket when Chilean products are key players on your grocery list.
