TALLAHASSEE (AP) — Cargo and cruise traffic hit record levels last year at Florida seaports, benefiting from global supply chain issues and people’s preference as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions eased, according to an industry report released Wednesday.
The Florida Ports Board’s annual maritime project plan says 10 port services handled 114. 25 million tons of shipping in 2023, up 1. 5% from the record 112. 5 million tons in 2022.
“We intentionally asked ships to replace the course and Florida as the destination for their cargo. And they did,” said Mike Rubin, president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council.
Rubin pointed to efforts to promote Florida ports as an option when demand for shipments was highest during the pandemic and origin chain issues included clogged shipments at California ports. The report states that Florida is ready to cope with an influx of maritime traffic by having ports that are heavily connected to facilities by road, rail, and air.
Rubin said Florida could also gain advantages from global conflicts in regions such as the Middle East.
“Maersk, CMA CGM and others (shipping companies) are exiting the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal or around Cape Horn, to some of those (global) hot spots,” Rubin said. or one of the last ports of call when this shipment leaves its cargo. And it’s smart to see. I think we’ve shown that Florida is the best position to take advantage of the opportunity to grow its cargo. “
Meanwhile, seven Florida ports welcomed 19. 4 million cruise passengers last year, surpassing the previous record of more than 1 million people. This record was set in 2019, the last full year before the pandemic temporarily shut down the cruise industry.
“COVID has really hurt people,” Rubin said. “Everyone was willing to spend money on it, and the cruise industry is grateful for that. There was a year where they fought. “
The pandemic reduced the number of cruise passengers in Florida to 747,488 in 2021, before expanding to 10. 8 million passengers as the industry began to recover in 2022.
PortMiami, Port Canaveral, and Port Everglades are the top three cruise home ports in the world. PortMiami last year led with just under 7.3 million cruise passengers, followed by Port Canaveral at 6.92 million and Port Everglades at just over 3 million.
Rubin said he expects those numbers to continue to rise, noting, for example, that a new Royal Caribbean ship will be signed into the fleet from PortMiami.
The annual report came as the Florida Ports Council has been seeking additional money from the Legislature for ports.
“We continue to emphasize that if they deliver more money to their ports, their supply chain will be better off,” Rubin said. “We have several lists of projects that we hope the legislature and the governor’s office, when they’re contemplating putting cash into the transportation formula, will increase their investments. “
Rubin noted that Texas has invested $200 million in port projects and that Georgia will centralize auto imports, which would pose a risk to Jacksonville since JAXPORT transports half a million cars a year.
Florida has 16 ports, including the 10 that handle cargo. The report outlines more than $5 billion in capital improvement projects over the next five years focused on dock rehabilitation, port capacity and congestion relief.
One list included 15 shipping projects, costing $325. 8 million, that could be underway over the next two years, ranging from $65 million for crane upgrades at Port Everglades to $1. 5 million for bulkhead replacement at Port Putnam.
Initial House and Senate budget proposals released last week would provide about $110 million for ports. For more than a decade, Florida has provided about $135 million to $149 million annually for port projects.