News & Updates
President’s Message: August 2025
Florida Seaports: Leaders in Maritime Trade
Florida’s seaports play an indispensable role in Florida’s economic fabric. Ensuring that our ports remain competitive through efficient and modern infrastructure that is prepared to meet growth and diversification expectations, while also supporting record-breaking cruise passenger growth, is essential.
Thanks to the support of our executive and legislative branch partners, Florida’s seaports are meeting shipping industry demands, while also making capital project improvements to ensure our ports remain strong and prepared for continued growth.
As you’ll see in our August newsletter, major improvement projects are in process across the state, including:
- PortMiami’s future-ready perishables facility,
- Navigational enhancements at Port Everglades,
- Two new 50-gauge ship-to-shore container cranes at JAXPORT,
- Port of Palm Beach cargo diversification, and
- Port Panama City container yard improvements.
In the coming weeks, port leaders will gather at the Florida Ports Councils Annual Meeting to collaborate and focus our attention in further support of seaport transportation economic development. Then we’ll take Florida’s positive seaport international trade message to some of the industry’s leading maritime trade networking events, including:
- International Trade & Business Development Leadership Mission to Italy, September 14 – 22
- Breakbulk America’s, September 30 – October 2
- Transport Logistics Americas, November 11-13
Just as seaport activity continues to bustle on the cargo side of the industry, the same is also true for cruising in Florida. On behalf of the Florida Ports Council, I’m happy to welcome the world’s largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, to the great state of Florida.
I look forward to seeing many of you in Longboat Key for our upcoming meetings.