News & Updates

The Florida Ports Council is pleased to provide you with the Florida Seaports: A Global Threshold- 2016-2020 Five-Year Florida Seaport Mission Plan, prepared by the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council as required by Florida Statute.

This annual report provides data on cargo and cruise activities at Florida’s seaports, as well as providing updated international trade data for Florida. And the good news revealed in these numbers is that Florida seaports, while supporting nearly 700,000 jobs and contributing $96 billion to Florida’s economy, are continuing to grow our international trade via cargo and to lead the world in cruise passenger business. This year’s Seaport Mission Plan also includes port profiles, which detail recent projects and accomplishments.

“The growth in container cargo around the state confirms that the global business community and U.S. businesses are recognizing the benefits of using Florida seaports to move their goods. We are also seeing gains in other cargoes and niche businesses, which highlights the diversity of our port assets.” said Doug Wheeler, president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council. “With the continued commitment by the Governor and Florida Legislature to seaport infrastructure, we expect those numbers to continue to gain momentum and bolster Florida’s economy overall.”

Some highlights of the 2015 data include:

• Florida’s Waterborne International Trade rose to $86.8 billion in 2015, a $700 million increase.
• Florida seaports moved more than 3.5 million containers or TEUs (a 5.9 percent increase) and $49.8 billion worth of containerized cargo in 2015 (a $300 million increase).
• Container tonnage also grew 6.6 percent in 2015, with nine of the ten cargo ports in Florida increasing tonnage.
• Florida seaports also served more than 15.2 million cruise passengers in 2015 and continues to have the top three cruise ports in the world.