WILMINGTON, Del. –  The Port of Wilmington, Delaware has set a record for the largest single shipment of fresh Moroccan citrus received by the port, with more than 1.75 million boxes of cargo.

M.V. Ditlev Reefer discharge operations of record cargo shipment of fresh Moroccan citrus at the Port of Wilmington, Delaware.
M.V. Ditlev Reefer discharge operations of record cargo shipment of fresh Moroccan citrus at the Port of Wilmington, Delaware.
This record volume was transported from Agadir, Morocco, to Wilmington onboard the specialized refrigerated vessel M.V. Ditlev Reefer, arriving at the port Nov. 28, 2018. Her cargo of easy peeler clementines shattered the previous best mark by 37 percent. 

Moroccan citrus has been flowing through the nation’s foremost marine terminal for perishables for 19 consecutive years in service to customer Fresh Fruit Maroc, fulfilling its role as a major port of entry and distribution center for the seasonal fruit imports. This includes the popular clementine and, as the November through March season progresses, the Nour and Nadorcott varieties.

“We are honored that our customer entrusts us with the handling of such a large consignment of fresh clementines. This speaks volumes to the longstanding and productive relationship that we enjoy with Fresh Fruit Maroc,” said Eric Casey, the Port’s Chief Executive Officer.

Cargo is stored in the port’s 800,000 square foot on-dock refrigerated warehouse complex, one of North America’s largest facilities, before distribution to markets throughout the United States and Canada. The Port of Wilmington handled more than 10.7 million boxes of Moroccan citrus in the 2018-19 season.