Fruit trade with Chile to sweeten with Philly port improvements, Corbett vows

As the City of Philadelphia continues its role of as a major port for shipments of Chilean fruit, Chilean Minister of Agriculture Luis Mayol Bouchon met with Gov. Tom Corbett Tuesday to talk about that fruitful relationship.

Bouchon’s visit to Philadelphia Tuesday to tout the importance of the Chilean fruit trade to Philadelphia and Chile follows a recent journey of Corbett to Chile.

Corbett says the port of Philadelphia is improving to meet the needs of the fruit business and other cargo.

“By investing in port infrastructure so that we can warehouse and ship perishable goods that move through here and while we continue to dredge the Delaware River, our port will soon be able to handle the bigger ships that pass through the widened Panama Canal,” Corbett said.

Grapes and kiwis are among the cargo that comes through the port supporting good-paying jobs for workers from truck drivers to those who unload the cargo from the ships.