Lamb Weston Alimentos Modernos—a venture now majority-owned by Lamb Weston Holdings—has confirmed that its Mar del Plata plant will begin commercial exports of frozen French fries and potato chips in late July 2025, departing on CMA CGM’s “Platón” container ship from Mar del Plata port.

Located in the General Savio Industrial Park, the facility is one of the largest frozen potato-processing plants in the world. It comprises three main modules: a production plant, substantial cold-storage warehouses covering almost one hectare, and a planned expansion zone mirroring the initial footprint. Construction has taken over two years.

Emilio Bustamante, head of Container Terminal 2 (TC2), indicated that Lamb Weston expects to export about 10,000 TEUs annually, with first shipments scheduled for late July on CMA CGM’s Platón—a vessel 170 meters in length that connects Mar del Plata with Santos, Brazil, on a weekly schedule.

Output from Mar del Plata is projected to target both domestic and international markets, with 70–75 % of finished product destined for export. The facility is strategically served by key transport routes—Route 88 and the Circunvalación road—streamlining access for more than 60 daily truck movements to the port.

The plant is estimated to generate 3,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region . It builds upon previous growth in Argentina: in September 2022, Lamb Weston increased its stake in the joint venture to 90% and invested US $240 million to establish a new French‑fry line capable of producing over 200 million pounds annually—adding 250 jobs.

The launch of Portuguese‑flagged CMA CGM “Platón” service in May 2024 enhanced Mar del Plata’s export capabilities. Since then, port container traffic has surged—recording a 130% increase in throughput and enabling weekly vessels compared with previous bi‑weekly sailings.