COVID-19 Disrupts Exports of Washington Apples

U.S. farm exports are being disrupted by the effects of COVID-19 on global shipping, leading to a shortage of cargo space and backing up large packer/shipper operations. Tens of thousands of boxes of Washington apples that were destined for Asia and the Middle East are now stacking up in warehouses.

“We (normally) ship 10 to 15 containers of fruit every week into Taiwan,” Dave Martin, Export Sales Manager for Stemilt Growers in Wenatchee, WA, told The Seattle Times. “This week, we will not have a ship.”

The problem is not demand. The newspaper reports that the problem is due to the effects of the pandemic on global shipping.