Recently, the South African Citrus Growers Association (CGA) warned that from April to October, South African citrus export companies will face export difficulties and the demand for refrigerated containers will be high.
CGA statistics show that South Africa needs 95,000 refrigerated containers for citrus exports this year. If fruits such as apples and pears are added, as well as subtropical fruits, at least 120,000 refrigerated containers will be needed during the period from April to October.
CGA CEO Justin Chadwick said, “The world is facing a shortage of refrigerated containers. Due to the current high demand for shipping from China to the United States, South Africa and the European Union, freight rates have soared, and many routes have given up loading refrigerated containers." As a large number of refrigerated containers are shipped from the United States, South America and the European Union to China, the imbalance in trade and maritime logistics has also caused more containers to pile up in the Chinese market.
The current shortage of containers has affected the fruit exports of Western Cape Town, and shipping costs may continue to rise. CGA has begun to use special refrigerated ships for transportation, and it is expected that higher freight rates may cause the price of citrus in South Africa to rise.