Chilean exporters demand justice after Maersk Saltoro disaster

The case of the Maersk Saltoro ship has become a symbol of the risk and fragility of agro-export trade. What was to be a strategic shipment of 25,000 tons of Chilean cherries to the Chinese market for the Lunar New Year ended in a logistical, commercial and legal disaster with losses in the millions of dollars.

The ship, which departed from San Antonio, Chile, suffered an engine failure on January 13 and was stranded at sea. After 52 days of delay, it finally arrived in China, but the cargo was no longer fit for sale. The Chinese authorities ordered its destruction, starting the process on March 11 in Nansha, under the supervision of Frutas de Chile.

The economic impact is devastating:

-The cargo had an estimated value of $120 million.

-The destruction of the fruit will cost around $25 million.

-Adding additional costs, the financial hit is enormous.

But the problem is not only monetary. Exporters' confidence in shipping is in check, as the companies involved seek to reduce their liability.

In an attempt to limit their liability, Maersk, Synergy Marine and Argosy filed a request with the Civil Court of Valparaiso to set a compensation cap of $16.4 million, just 10% of the total losses.

The sector's reaction was immediate: Antonio Walker, president of the National Agricultural Society (SNA), described the offer as "indecent", while Fedefruta criticized the lack of transparency regarding the maintenance of the vessel and argued that Maersk should have taken measures to avoid the total loss of the cargo.

Now, the affected exporters are preparing for a legal battle to obtain fair compensation. They will have to prove severe negligence in the management of the vessel for the courts to reject the limitation of liability imposed by Maersk.

source: agraria.pe

photo: mundoagro.cl