C.H. Robinson Sues MSC Mediterranean for Damaging Chilean Grape Shipments
Shipping giant MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. and others caused more than $182,000 in losses to logistics firm C.H. Robinson by mishandling five containers of grapes from Chile, C.H. Robinson said in an April 12 complaint filed in a Pennsylvania district court. The firm said MSC and marine terminal handlers Greenwich Terminals, Gloucester Terminals and Holt Logistics failed to impose "adequate procedures and fumigation facilities" to promptly fumigate the grapes (C.H. Robinson Co. v. MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co., E.D. Pa. # 2:23-01384).
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The accusations stemmed from a contract between C.H. Robinson's subsidiary Robinson Fresh Chile and MSC in March 2022, in which MSC agreed to ship five containers of fresh grapes from Chile to Philadelphia, the complaint said. To avoid damage, the grapes needed to be kept at a certain temperature and atmosphere and be fumigated before delivery. C.H. Robinson said MSC and its subcontractors, including the marine terminals, were “given instructions” and “should have known” about the “proper care of the subject cargo, including the appropriate conditions of temperature and atmosphere at which the cargo was to be maintained during transportation and after discharge prior to and during fumigation.”
But C.H. Robinson said the marine terminal handlers, which took custody of the containers after they reached Philadelphia, failed to carry out the required fumigation services. MSC also only raised the delivery air temperature in four of the five containers in advance of the expected fumigation in Philadelphia, the complaint said.
MSC breached its contract by "failing to properly carry, bail, keep and care for, protect and deliver" the grapes, C.H. Robinson said. The terminal handling firms were accused of failing to "take good and proper care of" the cargo, to promptly arrange for and transport the cargo to fumigation facilities, and to arrange for fumigation services. C.H. Robinson said the damages were due to "negligence, carelessness and recklessness."