Ports of the Americas
Special Report
Enstructure, which took over in July 2023, now has the terminal slated for early 2029, although legal challenges may stretch that timeline.
Changing port calls
Seaboard moved its North Atlantic – North Central America service from PSA Penn Terminals to Gloucester in June last year, and in August announced that its west coast South America service would follow as it extends into Chile. The extra pressure on Holt depends on whose market share Seaboard takes: if Cool’ s, the net impact on Gloucester is zero; if Seatrade’ s or the other carriers’, Holt must absorb additional throughput at the expense of Wilmington and / or Packer Avenue.
Holt will have its hands full anyway with Seatrade’ s switch, announced Sept. 4. To maintain a presence in Chile, Seatrade had little choice but to move. The data suggests that Chilean shippers on its service have been dissatisfied by Wilmington’ s performance. Excluding the 2023 / 24 season, when Seatrade did not provide a service due to the drought-related restrictions at the Panama Canal, breakbulk and containerized volumes of Chilean fruit shipped to Wilmington fell from 79K MT and 4,165 containers in 2022 / 23, to 72K MT and 3,841 containers in 2024 / 25, to only 38K MT and 2,018 containers in 2025 / 26, a near 50 % decline season-on-season.
The added throughput at Gloucester will reduce the scope for fumigation overspill from Packer Avenue to minimal at best and zero at worst. During peak arrivals, table grapes on liner services discharging at Packer Avenue will have to wait for fumigation capacity there before release into the market— uncomfortable for carriers and cargo alike.
Alternatively, carriers could spot-discharge a share of their containers at Wilmington, which will have surplus fumigation capacity once Seatrade leaves. Cargo bound for Packer Avenue may need to rethink its logistics.
A final complication is the Panama Canal; the Panama Canal Authority( ACP) has imposed extra conditions on transit reservations that significantly limit crossing days. Much will depend on rainfall across the isthmus during the forthcoming El Niño, already dubbed“ supersized,” with priority going to operators that book early or rank higher on the ACP’ s list.
Seatrade’ s enforced defection may be a big win for Holt, but it is good news for neither Wilmington nor Seatrade— nor, indeed, for cargo. It is a serious credibility concern for the port and could herald the end of Wilmington’ s involvement in seasonal Chilean fruit.
Despite the loss, terminal operator Enstructure remains optimistic.
“ Port Wilmington continues to be committed to the Chilean grape business,” a spokesperson said.“ This is evidenced by investments in the infrastructure, processes, and continued development and training of our teams. We are actively engaged with growers, shippers, and receivers and currently expect Chilean grape volumes at Port Wilmington during the upcoming season to be consistent with historical averages.”
Should Enstructure fail in its objective, exporter association Frutas de Chile and Chilean cargo interests that would prefer an alternative to Holt and Packer Avenue will inevitably be disappointed to lose the Wilmington option. And finally, with no discharge port to distinguish it from Cool, Seatrade’ s longer-term participation in Chile must also be under threat: Cool has substantial newbuild capacity coming on stream, and its Snow Class vessels are designed to stow high-cube pallets below deck, giving them an efficiency advantage.
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Chilean table grapes must be fumigated on arrival in the US, limiting port options. MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP)( Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP via Getty Images www. joc. com October 5, 2026 | Journal of Commerce 39