Dole Fresh Fruit Company and Chiquita Fresh North America have made Wilmington the #1 banana port in North America. As their mid-Atlantic distribution hub, they each call Wilmington twice weekly, year-round, with bananas and other tropical fruit to supply 200 million US and Canadian consumers.
The Port of Wilmington is the #1 US gateway for imports of fresh fruit and the leading port of entry for Chilean winter fruit. The Port recently had the honor of receiving the first breakbulk shipment of Chilean winter fruit to arrive in the US for the 9th consecutive season. From December to April we handle Chilean table grapes, apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, apples, pears, cherries, berries and many other fruits.
As the nation’s foremost marine terminal for perishable cargo, this delicious fruit is stored in our 6 refrigerated, state-of-the-art cold storage warehouses until its distribution to consumers. 800,000 sf of dock side cold storage in 6 warehouses makes Wilmington port one of the largest refrigerated warehouse terminals in the U.S. Port Wilmington typically receives over 16 million cases of fresh Chilean fruit annually.
#1 port of entry for Moroccan clementines to the US. The popular Moroccan clementines arrive in the fall, and are marketed throughout the US and Canada to sweeten the holiday season.
A very robust Argentine apple and pear winter program was successfully inaugurated at the Port and has been growing since.
The Port also handles Peruvian grapes and kiwifruit from New Zealand.
Delaware’s seaport is a proud member of the Produce Marketing Association PMA.