Florida's 16 publicly owned ports had a banner year setting records for cargo and cruise traffic in 2023, according to a recently released report by the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council. Seven of the 16 ports host cruise ships and 10 handle cargo.
But despite that good news, Mike Rubin, president of the Florida Ports Council, warned that Florida's ports can't just relax in the sun.
Rubin said Georgia and Texas are taking steps to eat into Florida's market share by investing heavily in ports. He said he is particularly concerned about Texas because the state Legislature is expected to allocate more than $200 million to increase port capacity and improve infrastructure over the next few years.
“Florida has invested heavily in its ports,” Rubin said. “We need to continue making these investments to combat competitive threats from Texas and Georgia.”
This year, Florida is expected to handle 60% of the world's cruise traffic. In 2021, when the coronavirus halted nearly all cruise activities, only 750 cruise passengers departed from Florida. The latest figures show the industry has fully recovered from the impact of coronavirus.
The 2023 cargo increase was partially due to problems in California, where ships were unable to unload containers for extended periods during the pandemic. Rubin said the state promoted itself as an alternative. Thanks to past investments, Florida's ports were ready to handle the largest ships and their cargo, he noted.
Rubin said Florida also benefits from global conflicts. He noted that some shipping companies are moving away from the Suez Canal to avoid the hotspot and offloading cargo in Florida.
more:Port of Palm Beach plans big growth over next 20 years
Key takeaways from the report include:
- The cargo volume handled was 114.3 tons, an increase of 1.5% from the previous year, marking a record high. Eight ports are projecting significant tonnage growth over the next five years.
- The number of cruise passengers was 19.4 million, an increase of 2% compared to the previous record set in 2019, before the coronavirus outbreak.
- Cargo and cruise activities support 900,000 direct and indirect jobs, have an economic value of $117.6 billion, and represent 13.3% of Florida's GDP.
- Port Miami, Port Canaveral, and Port Everglades are the top three cruise homeports in the world.
Report: Florida passenger numbers triple compared to 20 years ago
As for cruises, Port of Miami led the way with just under 7.3 million cruise passengers last year, followed by Port Canaveral with 6.9 million and Port Everglades with just over 3 million. Cruise ships in these ports can accommodate more than 6,700 passengers, more than three times as many as 20 years ago.
The report noted that $5 billion in capital improvement projects are planned over the next five years focused on port upgrades, port capacity and congestion relief.
The report predicts the following increases from 2024 to 2028:
- Port Canaveral, cruise passengers, 17%. Cargo tonnage, 10%.
- Port Everglades, cruise passengers, 16%; Cargo tonnage, 15%.
- Port Miami, cruise passengers plus 23%. Cargo tonnage (not reported).
Port of Palm Beach boasts record revenues
The Port of Palm Beach was one of the Florida ports with record revenues.
Port of Palm Beach Chairman Wayne said for the first time in more than a decade, all berths at the Port of Palm Beach were occupied on February 1, with container ships, cargo ships, cruise ships, barges and yachts taking up space. . Richards noted that occupying berth space equates to increased revenue.
“This accomplishment is unprecedented during my 22-year tenure as Port Commissioner,” Richards said. “Net operating revenue increased by his 11% and operating expenses decreased by his 7%, bringing his total net income to his $3.3 million.”
On the cruise front, the number of passengers passing through Port of Palm Beach increased by 183% compared to the previous year. Although the port cannot accommodate the large ships that frequent Port Everglades and Port Miami, it is a popular attraction with two to three overnight cruises to Grand Bahama Island on board the Margaritaville at Sea ship. It becomes.
The Port of Palm Beach expects a 15% increase in cruise passengers and a 15% increase in cargo tonnage over the next five years, according to a state report. During that time, it plans to invest $30 million in improvements to the cruise terminal.
Mike Diamond is a journalist. palm beach post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation.you can contact him mdiamond@pbpost.com. Please help support local journalism. Subscribe now.
