he port of Umm Qasr in Iraq has opened a reefer yard, built by the Kuwaiti terminal owner,Global Logistics and Warehouse Co.,in cooperation with Maersk Line.The move follows Maersk's introduction of a feeder service to the port four months ago from Jebel Ali, Dubai and Mesaieed in Qatar.The yard has 150 plugs available and is ready to accept refrigerated cargo.

For now, we are only accepting frozen cargo, but services for refrigerated commodities are due to be launched in the near future, Maersk said.Until now, most refrigerated cargo has moved overland into Iraq through Kuwait, Turkey and Jordan, but the new reefer yard means greater access and flexibility for exporters looking to reach Iraqi markets with perishable goods.

Source:American Shipper,April 15,2010