News & Updates

The Florida Ports Council is fully engaged with our state seaports impacted by the ILA strike, and are monitoring how a lack of an agreement between the ILA and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) will impact Floridians.

JAXPORT, Port Everglades, PortMiami and Port Tampa Bay, four of Florida’s 16 seaports, have ILA workers at their ports, and therefore these ports will be impacted by the strike.

Additionally, the type of cargo that will be impacted is primarily containerized cargo. The strike will not impact bulk cargo, specialty cargo, fuel or cruises.

Examples of some of the specific types of cargo impacted include:

• Perishables: fruits, vegetables, seafood and proteins.
• Medical supplies: stents, valves, surgical equipment, calibrated instruments, masks, gowns, hospital and clinic blankets, gloves and pharmaceuticals.
• Construction/Hurricane supplies: lumber, generators, steel, stone, tile, roofing materials, plumbing supplies and nails.
• Automobiles
• Clothing and Furniture

More specifically, the supply chain delays will impact each of Florida’s impacted ports differently.

• JAXPORT – About one-third of JAXPORT’s business, particularly international container volumes, and international vehicle volumes, will be impacted.
• Port Everglades – About 41 percent of its business at two of its five terminals will experience delays.
• PortMiami – About 50 percent of cargo commodity will be impacted at three container terminals.
• Port Tampa Bay – While containers and vehicles are important and expanding cargoes at the port, Port Tampa Bay has a large and diversified base of other commodities and lines of business that will not be impacted. 

As Floridians and our neighbors in the Southeast recover from Hurricane Helene, we have a genuine concern about getting much needed supplies to storm-ravaged communities in Florida and up the Eastern seaboard where so many of Florida’s imports are ultimately destined.

We remain hopeful that the ILA and USMX will soon come to a resolution.