Feb 22, 2016

Customized Brokers to clear perishables entering port of Charleston

Customized Brokers , Crowley Maritime Corp.’s Miami-based subsidiary specializing in Customs clearance of imported perishable apparel and refrigerated products, said it could begin clearing certain produce requiring cold-treatment from Peru, Uruguay and Argentina into the Port of Charleston, S.C. as early as this Spring.  This development would indicate an expansion of the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) cold treatment pilot program that has previously been rolled out in South Florida and in Savannah, Georgia.

Cold treatment is a process whereby perishable fruits have their pulp brought to a certain temperature for a period of time as dictated by phytosanitary authorities in order to fulfill APHIS quarantine requirements for fruits and vegetables entering the U.S., the company said. The process eliminates harsh chemical fumigation but ensures that foreign insect and their larvae are eradicated from the cargo in order to protect the U.S. agricultural industry, Customized Brokers said. For compliance, fruits and vegetables must be shipped in new or completely clean containers equipped with temperature sensors to monitor the near-freezing temperatures required for the cold treatment process. The treatment begins with pre-cooling dockside at the point of export or once the produce is aboard the vessel, then refrigerating the cargo at acceptable temperatures for the duration of transit and, finally, keeping it at near-freezing temperatures for around two weeks upon arrival portside in the U.S.

Once formally implemented, Customized Brokers will be authorized to clear citrus, blueberries and grapes from Peru; blueberries and grapes from Uruguay; and blueberries, apples and pears from Argentina. As with previous implementations, containers that do not pass cold treatment will be prohibited from entering the port and will not be offloaded from vessels. Instead, failed containers will be allowed transit via sea to a Northeastern port for retreatment, or, they will be re-exported to the country of origin, the company said.