As the new cherry season in the Southern Hemisphere approaches, MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) recently announced the launch of a new Alpaca line service designed specifically for the cherry season.
The service will commence in September 2025, providing customers with rapid shipping from the Far East to the West Coast of South America. The segment from Ningbo, China, via Busan, South Korea, to Callao, Peru, achieves a leading speed advantage in the market.
This weekly independent line will make direct stops at Chilean ports while also enhancing MSC's intermodal services to important trade gateways such as Arica and Iquique in Bolivia.
The Alpaca line, tailored to meet the demand of the Chilean cherry season, will operate as MSC's Cherry Express, offering a fast and reliable solution for exporters targeting the Asian market. Through MSC's iReefer technology, the line will maximize the assurance of the condition, freshness, and visibility of refrigerated cargo throughout the supply chain.
The complete port sequence for the line is: Ningbo (China) – Busan (South Korea) – Callao (Peru) – Arica (Chile) – Iquique (Chile) – San Antonio (Chile) – Nansha (China) – Hong Kong (China) – Ningbo (China).
Image source: MSC 2025 International Fruit and Vegetable Report. All rights reserved. For reprint permission, contact the International Fruit and Vegetable Report and credit the source.