News & Updates
President’s Message: January 2024
The 2024 Florida Legislative Session is officially underway, and now is the time to remind lawmakers of the importance of Florida’s seaports to our economy.
As history has proven, investments in our seaports lead to more jobs and revenue for Florida’s economy.
But Florida literally faces a fork in the road decision – we either continue to make significant investments to allow Florida to seize the growing global trade opportunity, or we allow it to pass us by for states like California, Texas, Georgia and others on the Eastern seaboard, including New York and New Jersey.
Two years ago, California’s shipping supply chain debacle threatened to be the grinch that stole Christmas. But Florida’s seaports answered America’s call to get shipping cargo moving by encouraging ships to change lanes and set sail for Florida. With the necessary deepwater port infrastructure in place, and leading road, rail and air connectivity in place, Florida was prepared to meet the challenge.
Our success was almost immediate, as new global ocean carrier services began calling on our reliable, resilient and ready seaports. Those successes continue today, and Florida’s economy has been the benefactor.
Florida ports support 900,000 direct and indirect jobs, resulting in $117.6 billion in economic impact. That’s 13 percent of Florida’s GDP.
That success has propelled Florida to its rightful position on the international trade hub stage, but it has also garnered increasing competition from neighboring states and their attempts to encroach on our success.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently approved an historic $200 million for 31 different seaport projects, that’s more than Florida’s typical $135-$149 million annually for about 14 port infrastructure projects. Georgia, by far Florida’s closest and fiercest competitor, is expanding its Brunswick port facility in an attempt to become the largest hub for automobile imports. This is a very direct threat to Florida’s largest automobile importing seaport.
We literally face a fork in the road decision – we either make significant investments to allow Florida to seize the growing global trade opportunity, or we allow it to pass us by for states like California, Georgia and others on the Eastern seaboard, including New York and New Jersey.
The Florida Ports Council is urging lawmakers to make stronger investments in Florida’s ports to help shore up dock rehabilitation, increase ports capacity, support cargo container handling cranes, improve connectivity, relieve congestion, and more.
These investments will lead to more jobs for Florida’s growing population, and more revenue to the Sunshine State to support broader growth.
Together we can seas the opportunities to invest in Florida’s global trade success.