News & Updates
Seaport Spotlight: Port Everglades-An Epicenter for International Trade
An epicenter for international trade, Port Everglades is positioned in one of the world’s largest consumer regions, including a combined 110 million residents and seasonal visitors within an 80-mile radius. Port Everglades is the second largest U.S. gateway for trade with Latin America, moving 12.5 percent of all U.S./Latin American trade. The port’s diversified cargo mix includes containers, refrigerated cargo, new and used automobiles and trucks, dry bulk, breakbulk, project cargo, RO/RO, and liquid bulk. Approximately one-third of the transportation fuels consumed in Florida are stored and distributed by companies located within Port Everglades, including jet fuel for five international airports. In addition to cargo operations, Port Everglades hosts nearly four million cruise passenger movements annually.
With its proximity to the popular Caribbean, Port Everglades is the third busiest cruise homeport in the world. It is a leading container port in Florida and one of the most active cargo ports nationally. Port Everglades is also South Florida’s main seaport for receiving energy products, including gasoline and jet fuel.
Port customers benefit from direct highway access, an international airport within two miles, state-of-the-art foreign-trade zone warehousing, and a 43-acre international and domestic intermodal container rail transfer facility that makes it possible for cargo shipped to Port Everglades to reach Atlanta and Charlotte by rail within two days, and 70 percent of the U.S. population in four days.
Port Everglades follows an aggressive, comprehensive 20 Master/Vision Plan that focuses on modernizing its facilities to maximize productivity. The plan is updated every two to four years and review market trends and changes in the cruise, cargo and energy industries, local planning initiatives, and evolving technologies. Through these plan, Port Everglades has identified 50 infrastructure improvements, with an estimated cost of up to 33 billion that will increase the port’s productivity over the next 20 years. More than half of the projects will be started and/or completed within the next five years.
A department of Broward County government, Port Everglades does not rely on local tax dollars for operations. The total value of economic activity related to Port Everglades exceeded $30 billion in the fiscal year 2021. More than 206,000 Florida jobs are impacted by the port, including 7,000 people who work for companies providing direct services.