- Florida’s sixteen seaports contributed $117.6 billion to the state’s GDP, accounting for 13.3% of the overall GDP in 2022.
- The ports received a record-breaking 112.5 million tons of cargo, supporting 900,000 jobs across the state.
- Florida’s cruise industry also reported positive economic activity, with the state claiming the world’s top three cruise homeports – the Port of Miami, Port Canaveral, and Port Everglades.
Florida’s sixteen seaports generated $117.6 billion in economic output last year, accounting for 13.3 percent of the state’s overall GDP, according to Mike Rubin, CEO and President of the Florida Ports Council.
Florida’s ports received 112.5 million tons of cargo received in 2022, an all-time high and six percent increase compared to the year prior. An economic impact report also disclosed that cargo and cruise activities supported 900,000 direct and indirect jobs across the state. In 2022, the state’s seaports handled 4,310,054 TEUs, 26.1 million container tons, 22.4 million dry bulk tons, 54.8 million liquid bulk tons, 9.03 million breakbulk tons, 631,157 vehicles, and 10.7 million cruise passengers.
“While much of the nation was frozen by the supply chain stalemate, Florida’s ports were open and encouraging shipping lines to change lanes and sail to the Sunshine State,” said Rubin. “We’ve long known that the investments made in our ports had prepared Florida for the day when more cargo and more cargo ships would call on Florida. Now Florida has become a major player among seaports.”
The state’s ports avoided supply chain constrictions following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and engaged in several maintenance projects to increase accessibility, such as adding three live traffic cameras to Port Everglades to allow shippers to better anticipate peak congestion patterns as well as seeking investment at the Port of Miami to construct two off-port facilities to handle imports.
The Port of Miami, one of the largest economic outputs in Miami-Dade County, experienced a growth of approximately 73 percent in operating revenues last year from $99.4 million to $172.4 million. The port’s top trading partners are China, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic.
Serving as Florida’s largest container port and one of the nation’s top vehicle-handling ports, the Port of Jacksonville, played a significant economic role in the city’s incoming revenue. Cargo activity through Jacksonville’s seaport supported 138,000 jobs and facilitated $31 billion in annual economic impact for the region and state last year.
State leaders plan to allocate $3.9 billion through Capital Improvement Plans (CIP) beginning in Fiscal Year 2023 and extending through 2027. The largest planned investments in the current CIP are for Berth Rehabilitation and Repairs ($774 million), Site Improvements ($703 million), Cargo Terminals ($698 million), and Cruise Terminals ($636 million).
Florida’s cruise industry also reported positive economic activity, with the state claiming the world’s top three cruise homeports – the Port of Miami, Port Canaveral, and Port Everglades – and being home to the largest cruise ships in the world. Florida-based cruise activity’s direct expenditures generated 158,992 jobs, $8.1 billion in income across the state, and more than $9.0 billion in direct revenue for Florida businesses, with 11 million passengers in 2022.