ContainersEurope

Maersk closes Chilean reefer factory

Maersk Container Industry is closing its reefer factory in San Antonio, Chile and moving all manufacturing to its facility in Qingdao in northeast China.

“After careful review, we concluded that the consolidation of activities at one plant will provide a strengthened capacity utilisation and a simpler cost structure. This will in turn allow us to better serve our customers and focus on innovation responding to the growing demand for reefer container technology,” said Sean Fitzgerald, CEO of Maersk Container Industry.

The three-year-old Chilean factory employs 1,209 people.

In a release, Maersk admitted the reefer market has been suffering severe overcapacity recently.

“In the past several years, the reefer container market has changed fundamentally towards heavy overcapacity,” Maersk stated.

“The harsh reality is that to be competitive today requires us to adapt our operations constantly. Fundamental market factors have changed and so must we to grow with the market,” Fitzgerald said.

Maersk has one other container manufacturing site in China.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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