MIAMI.- Cargo cargo received at Florida’s 16 ports hit a record 112.5 million tons in 2022, up 6% from a year earlier and 0.5% higher than in 2019, the last fiscal year before COVID -19.
The Florida Ports Council (FPC), the trade association that brings together the public ports of this southeastern American state, released new data on Wednesday from the Florida Maritime Transportation and Economic Development Council (FSTED) which shows this growth.
The good performance of the Florida ports meets the requirements of the international supply chain, which has prompted freight companies to change routes and stop in the Florida ports, which are not very congested, as the association pointed out in a press release.
He points out that the forecast is that these ports will continue to gain international cargo market share over the next 5 years.
“Investments in Florida’s 16 public ports have positioned them as trusted to seize the opportunity to become a benchmark in capturing an even greater share of international trade,” the statement said.
FSTED administrator and FPC CEO Michael Rubin noted that Florida ports mean “the gateway to the world” in commercial terms.
The good progress of the cargo sector is accompanied by the figures of the cruise industry in Florida, which recorded 10.7 million passengers in 2022.
Florida’s cruise industry accounts for about 60% of all passenger traffic in the United States and plays a vital role in the state’s tourism industry, Rubin said.
Rubin, also a trustee of the Florida Seaport Economic Development and Transportation Council, said the surge in freight last year was also due to shipping lines seeking to avoid delays at California ports.
“I think the supply chain crisis and our ability to respond to it was probably the biggest thing,” Rubin said.
He recalled that Florida, like the rest of the United States, is benefiting from an increase in economic activity with Mexico, the United States’ main trading partner.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, has proposed a budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year that would provide $150 million to the ports, up from $135 million this fiscal year.
Cargo and cruise ship operations in the state of Florida generate 900,000 direct and indirect jobs and value $117.6 trillion to the economy, or 13.3% of Florida’s gross domestic product (GDP). ‘State.