News & Updates

Florida Seaports Announce Significant Growth in Economic Impacts

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (May 14, 2013) – The Florida Ports Council released the 2013-2017 Five-Year Florida Seaport Mission Plan, providing updated figures on international trade, economic impact, and cargo and cruise activity at Florida’s seaports.

Governor Scott said, “The Florida Ports Council report demonstrates the significance of Florida ports to job creation. With more than 680,000 jobs supported by ports – we’ve made building up the infrastructure at Florida’s ports a top priority. In the last three years, taxpayers have invested $425 million in our ports to take advantage of the benefits of trade with Central and South America, and to prepare our state for the expansion of the Panama Canal. The more we grow and enhance our ports, the more Florida will flourish as a central trading destination for global commerce, which ultimately means more jobs for Florida families.”

“The story revealed in these numbers is that Florida seaports are continuing their role as critical economic engines for their communities and for the state,” said Doug Wheeler, president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council. “With the recent strategic investments by the Governor and Legislature, we expect those numbers to continue to grow and bolster Florida’s economy overall.”

Some highlights include:

  • International Trade value increased markedly – 2012 was a record year at $162 billion (up $12 billion).
  • Florida’s Waterborne International Trade is up from $82.7 billion (2011) to $85.6 billion (2012) – $2.9 billion increase in just one year.
  • Florida seaports moved more than 100 million total tons and 3 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent containers) of cargo in 2012.
  • Florida seaports’ total economic impact value from cargo activities rose from $66 billion in 2008 to $90 billion in 2012 (a 26% increase, and total state and local tax revenues are up from $1.7 billion to $2.2 billion (a 23% increase) in the same period.
  • Florida seaports now account for 13 percent of Florida’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – up from 9 percent in 2008.

We are especially pleased that we can provide this new data during Florida World Trade Month which recognizes the significant contributions Florida’s seaports make to the local and state economies.

Download the 2013-2017 Mission Plan here.