As normal day-to-day business
Trade missions have been launched in each direction, with Mexican exporters so keen on the idea that they volunteered to sign contracts committing them to weekly container quotas, according to the Port of Philadelphia.
Veracruz marine terminal operators who spoke at a Philadelphia trade mission to Veracruz in July said they were ready for the new refrigerated service. “They are investing in refrigerated warehousing, new docks and other equipment, so their commitment is tangible,” said Carlos Giralt, the Mexican Consul in Philadelphia.
Veracruz currently handles perishable shipments for Europe and Asia, and port officials say the U.S. Northeast is the next target market.
Representatives of Maersk Line, SeaLand (the Maersk intra-Americas carrier scheduled to begin service in January) and SeaLand Mexico attended the meeting in Mexico. Representatives from Maersk and Mediterranean Shipping Co. attended a similar meeting in Philadelphia in May.
Still, potential customers shouldn’t read too much into the meetings, according to Timothy Simpson, spokesman for Maersk and SeaLand. “SeaLand is participating on different customer forums as normal day-to-day business, and this is just another one,” he said. “There are no plans to open a service on this route at this point in time.”