MARINE INDUSTRY Florida’s ports – and the cruise and cargo ships that call on them – ferry billions of dollars to and through the Sunshine State. Florida’s 15 deep-water ports are the state’s connection to global trade that stretches from Asia to the Americas and across the Atlantic. The ports and harbors across 1,350 miles of coastline support high-wage jobs in the maritime, marine science, and recreational boating space. Together, the sector generates hundreds of millions of dollars in state and local tax revenues, and drives economic prosperity in the communities it serves. Even amid the pandemic, the marine industry is a resilient economic powerhouse propelling Florida’s future. By Jeff Zbar FLORIDATREND.COM DECEMBER 2020 MARINE INDUSTRY FLORIDA SEAPORT FAST FACTS Florida ports generate … $117 billion Total economic activity $87.3 billion Waterborne international trade (2018) was 55.6% of Florida’s $156.9 110 MILLION TONS OF CARGO FLOW billion total international trade THROUGH FLORIDA’S PORTS $57.4 billion Containerized cargo to and from Florida FLORIDA SEAPORTS: A LIFELINE FOR GLOBAL TRADE 110 million tons International and domestic cargo Deep ports are big business in garages, and other infrastructure to serve the growing cruise market. Though not a the Sunshine State. port embarkation, the Port of Key West is a popular port of call. Through Florida’s 15 deep-water ports, more than any other state, flow some 110 More resilient is the cargo sector. When the million tons of cargo – including contain- Panama Canal opened its third set of locks ers, bulk cargo, and freighters filled with in 2016, it ushered in a new era of shipping raw goods and petroleum – and millions of traffic through the Central American trade cruise passengers annually. route. A recent report from the Florida Ports New or “post-Panamax” vessels coming Council found that maritime cargo and fully loaded from Asia almost tripled their cruise activities at Florida’s deep-water size and scope. Florida ports have under- ports – those 30 feet or more in depth – gone deepening and widening projects to support nearly 900,000 direct and indi- accommodate new vessels’ size. rect jobs, generate some $118 billion in economic value, or 13% of state GDP, and Florida’s ports deliver more than cargo. contribute more than $4.3 billion in state Ports receive millions in funding from and local tax revenues. various federal agencies to improve and expand port facilities and to deepen and TWO DISTINCT LINES OF BUSINESS widen the port’s navigational channels, Florida’s ports serve several key sectors, and especially in the post-Panamax era. When each had been sailing strong prior to the the U.S. Department of Transportation’s pandemic. Florida’s cruise sector saw 18.3 Maritime Administration awarded more passengers in 2019, up from 16.8 million than $280 million in grants through its new passengers in 2018. The sector employs Port Infrastructure Development Program, more than 149,020 statewide. Florida received the most funds of any state. The state’s largest multi-day cruise ports, Port Everglades, PortMiami, and Port Over the past decade, port projects FLORIDA’S PORTS AND INLETS ARE USED Canaveral, followed by JAXPORT, Port prepared Florida for its place as a grow- BY MARINE SCIENCE PROGRAMS Tampa Bay, and the Port of Palm Beach, all ing global trade destination. Navigation have been investing heavily in terminals, channels were dredged and deepened. 56 DECEMBER 2020 MARINE INDUSTRY PORTRAIT / FLORIDA TREND CUSTOM CONTENT FLORIDA PORTS » Florida ranked as the seventh- largest export state in 2019 » Florida’s top 10 trade partners (in order): Brazil, China, Chile, Japan, Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Germany, Honduras, and Costa Rica » Seaport projects yield $7 in state and local taxes for every $1 of state investment Source: Florida Ports Council, U.S. Census Bureau Container handling and intermodal facil- ALABAMA ities were expanded to expedite transfer Port of GEORGIA Fernandina of containerS to trucks and railroad cars. This meant goods spent less time in port JACKSONVILLE and found their way faster to Florida’s TALLAHASSEE 10 and the Southeast’s thriving warehouse, Port JaxPort distribution, and logistics centers – and Pensacola ultimately, consumers. 95 Atlantic Ocean Port St. Joe 75 When the pandemic hit and Florida’s Port ports were deemed essential, ports Panama City Port Port Citrus became a lifeline delivering food, fuel, Port ORLANDO Canaveral consumer goods – and continued jobs Tampa Bay and economic opportunity. Though 4 Port of Port TAMPA Fort Pierce Florida ports lost 169,000 jobs and St. Pete $23 billion in economic activity, notes 95 a recent economic impact study from Port the Florida Ports Council, the ports are Gulf of Port Manatee Palm rebounding. Mexico Beach “Prepandemic, we have seen most ports Port enjoying growth across many lines of Everglades business – cargo, petroleum, and the 75 cruise industry,” says Doug Wheeler, MIAMI president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council, the seaports’ industry associa- Port tion. “Florida got really serious about Port of Miami investing in its seaports 10 years ago, N Key West and we’ve been seeing return on investment.” RUSSELL COSSETTA MAP TERESANNE FLORIDATREND.COM DECEMBER 2020 57 MARINE INDUSTRY PORT OF PALM BEACH PORT EVERGLADES JOBS: 10,000 JOBS: 13,037 DIRECT; 219,072 STATEWIDE CARGO: 2.5 MILLION TONS CARGO: 1.05 MILLION TEUS CARGO VALUE: $7 BILLION CARGO VALUE: $22.72 BILLION (INCLUDES CRUISE PASSENGERS: 500,000 PETROLEUM) ECONOMIC IMPACT: $400 MILLION CRUISE PASSENGERS: 3.89 MILLION The Port of Palm Beach’s $26 million inter- ECONOMIC IMPACT: $32 BILLION modal rail freight facility expansion is a nod Port Everglades handles among the largest to the critical role the port plays. cruise liners and ships handling cargo and petroleum. As the demand for containerized cargo PORT OF PALM BEACH and the rail to move it reaches a historic A multi-year plan will welcome the largest high, the 162-acre port is focused on future vessels afloat. The current $1.6 billion plan – growth. The expansion will more than part of a $3 billion, 20-year expansion – will double intermodal rail capacity to 95,000 widen and deepen the port for the post- TEUs per year, create 105 direct jobs, and Panamax cargo ships. reduce truck trips by 29,000 per year. In a recent deal, the port is developing A 4.5-acre refrigerated container yard with its new International Logistics Center, heavy-duty cargo container rated pavement CenterPoint Properties. will allow the port’s largest tenant, Tropical The port is Florida’s second petroleum port, Shipping, to meet the demand of the PORT CANAVERAL with more than 125 million barrels delivered Caribbean market. annually. Some $100 million in seawall and An essential lifeline to the Caribbean, the roadway improvements will accommodate port moves some $3.3 billion worth of ever-larger tankers. goods to the islands each year. Among the world’s top homeports and A $6 million mega-yacht berth project com- ports of call for multi-day cruises, the port pleted in January 2020 replaced 425 feet of welcomed more than 900 calls in 2019 seawall for “Berth One Palm Beach,” a facil- alone. ity for ultra-high value mega-yachts. PORT EVERGLADES PORT OF FERNANDINA PORT CANAVERAL JOBS: 120 JOBS: 32,650 CARGO: 400,000 TONS, PLUS 25,000 TEUS CARGO: 6 MILLION TONS CARGO VALUE: $250 MILLION CRUISE PASSENGERS: 5 MILLION CRUISE PASSENGERS: 2,000 ECONOMIC IMPACT: $3.9 BILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT: $35 MILLION Port Canaveral handles bulk, break-bulk, Worldwide Terminals Fernandina acquired project, and containerized cargo; millions the operating rights to the Port of of cruise passengers annually; and with Fernandina in 2018 and issued $27.6 mil- the cape’s renewed space operations, a lion in Port Revenue Bonds the next year. PORT OF FERNANDINA growing list of rocket launch and retrieval Development called for expanding and operations. modernizing port facilities, acquiring a new cargo handling equipment and terminal Cruise operations generate 75% of port operating system, and deepening its berths revenue, followed by shipping of such prod- to more than 40 feet. ucts as petroleum, lumber and construc- tion materials, and newspaper rolls. The Some 60% of cargo volume is for export, port’s new multi-purpose cargo berth was says Christopher T. Ragucci, port direc- purpose-built to provide offload capability tor and CEO with Worldwide Terminals for a wide range of cargo types, including Fernandina. PORT OF FORT PIERCE oversized space components. The goal is to increase throughput capacity Its $46.2 million Liebherr 600 mobile harbor to upwards of 150,000 TEUs annually within crane has a lifting capacity of 154 tons, the next two years, while handling about allowing it to hoist rocket boosters and 500,000 tons of break-bulk and bulk cargo other heavy cargo. April 2020 was a record annually, Ragucci says. month for the crane for space operations. “Our lower cost structure than most ports in On the horizon is a $37 million, two-year the Southeast with high productivity makes pier renovation, coming on the heels of a it Florida’s most diverse and dynamic small 120-foot pier extension to berth vessels of port,” he says. JAXPORT 850 feet. 58 DECEMBER 2020 MARINE INDUSTRY PORTRAIT / FLORIDA TREND CUSTOM CONTENT IS ON THE HORIZON St. Lucie County, located on the east coast between Orlando and Miami, is on the cusp of transforming its airPORT and seaPORT into major economic activity centers. Business owners looking to relocate or expand will be awed by its subtropical climate, enviable natural resources and coastal Florida lifestyle, including beautiful beaches, championship golf, world class boating & fishing, and a thriving arts & culture scene.