The port of Zeebrugge tightens agreements in New Zealand in order to maintain the leadership of main importer of kiwi in Europe



In recent days the port of Zeebrugge has strait important agreements to the aim to preserve and to increase own role of marine port of call leader for the import of at the market European destined kiwis. Slid friday to Auckland the Harbour Authority of Zeebrugge and the terminalista group SEA-invest, than work a terminal for the traffic of the fruit in the Belgian port, has undersigned renews of the duration of others five years of the contract with the Zespri New Zealander based on which SEA-invest puts on own Belgian terminal New Fruit Wharf (BNFW) of the port of Zeebrugge for storage, the produced quality control and the packaging of the wiki from the Zespri that they reach from New Zealand.

"First time that we have signed this agreement - has remembered the managing director of the Port of Zeebrugge, Joachim Coens - it has been in 1984. From then the increase, the evolution and the innovation always have been a priority of the port. I renew of this contracted demonstrates that we are satisfying the expectations of our partner. This new contract confirmation that all the parts benefit from this agreement and that between us there is a strong cohesion of attempts. We - he has emphasized Coens - are an important we carry of access for the distribution of foods in Europe. Our port is the gateway for Europe for food of New Zealand. Our geographic positioning and our experience in the traffics of foods and yield have returned us the center of official distribution of yield kiwi of the Zespri in Europe. Moreover the Belgian New Fruit Wharf adds an adapted infrastructure to our localization, that he is ideal. In consideration of the fact that BNFW appoints to a job some 250 people, the agreement with Zespri and SEA-invest is a happen to all the levels".

Every year the tons of kiwis of the Zespri pile to about 120.000 that are imported through the port of Zeebrugge and therefore distributed in 25 markets in Europe, that it is altogether the main market for the New Zealand company. The others 20,000 tons of kiwi enlivened annually from the Belgian port reach from Italy.

Besides to renew the understanding with Zespri, to Auckland the Belgian port has signed also an agreement of twinning with the New Zealand port of Tauranga, from which the 120,000 tons of kiwis destined leave to disembark on the docks of Zeebrugge. The agreement previews the exchange of information on the harbour activities and the developments of the market with the objective to promote the commercial success of both the ports of call. "The agreement with the port of Tauranga - it has observed Coens - is the result of a collaboration already to the advanced state. Our port is a distributing important of coming kiwis from New Zealand. The understanding with the port of Tauranga will strengthen the increase of both the parts in all the phases of our logistic service".