El Niño Threatens 1.49 Million TEU Latin America Reefer Trade as NA, Europe Dependence Climbs
Updated
Updated · Metro Shipping · Sep 2
El Niño Threatens 1.49 Million TEU Latin America Reefer Trade as NA, Europe Dependence Climbs
2 articles · Updated · Metro Shipping · Sep 2
Summary
North America and Europe imported 1.49 million TEU of refrigerated goods from Latin America in 2025, up 8.9%, leaving buyers more exposed as El Niño builds through late 2026 and early 2027.
Q4 2026 and Q1 2027 are expected to bring the strongest disruption during the Southern Hemisphere harvest, with drought and coastal flooding threatening production and export flows in Chile, Colombia and Peru.
Higher temperatures and extreme weather also raise in-transit risks by straining refrigeration systems, extending port and road delays, and increasing the chance of temperature excursions that cut shelf life.
A refrigerated freight index already stands 20% above a year earlier, while limited reefer plugs, chassis gensets and possible Panama Canal restrictions could tighten capacity further if sourcing shifts suddenly.
Importers are being pushed toward real-time monitoring, contingency routing, alternative sourcing and stronger backup power as cold-chain resilience becomes a broader supply-chain planning issue.