US fish/lobsters propel exports to Spain

Small fish and big lobsters are moving quickly out of the Northeast United States to Spain, boosting air cargo exports, according to a key freight forwarder. "We're shipping 60 tons a week of small, fresh whiting to Madrid and Barcelona," said Bonifacio Altamirano, regional director of Master Air Cargo Inc., a large international freight forwarder specializing in Latin countries. The surge in shipments started in May and could continue all summer, Altamirano said. He said he couldn't give comparable figures for prior months as the forwarder only started this spring to ship the fish to Spain. "We're shipping a lot of lobsters from Maine and Boston to Madrid," Altamirano added. From one to two tons weekly, he said. "The US fish are more popular (than the lobsters)," Altamirano said. Iberia, which has daily flights from New York to both Madrid and Barcelona, is also shipping a lot of whiting and lobsters. "It's a big market in Spain," said Teresa Valdez, a cargo sales representative for Iberia in New York. Iberia is also sending Kodak film, medical equipment and artwork as cargo to Madrid and Barcelona, Valdez said. The carrier is importing shoes and various other dry cargo back to the US Northeast. To Madrid, Iberia uses a Boeing 747, with six pallet positions in the belly hold, and a 767 to Barcelona with four pallet positions, Valdez said. The belly hold cargo is usually filled going to Spain. The Spanish economy is doing well enough for its consumers to now afford US goods, Valdez said. (Reuters)