Florida port officials announced on Thursday they will converge on California beginning this weekend to push for more cargo ships to come to the Sunshine State to help ease global supply-chain issues.
Leaders from the Florida Ports Council, JAXPORT, Port Everglades, PortMiami, Port Tampa Bay and Port Manatee will attend TPM22 in Long Beach, CA, where they will highlight Florida’s seaport vessel capabilities, equipment capacity and 24/7 supply chain efficiencies.
“We’re going to put ourselves front and center into the battleground,” said Florida Ports Council Chair and Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Jonathan Daniels. “As shippers look to avoid congestion, Florida has developed the efficiencies to serve as a long-term solution to move cargo, and this is the message we look forward to sharing with shipping lines.”
“Thanks to the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, the Florida Legislature and Florida Department of Transportation, Florida has made strong investments in its seaports, and has become a major player in connecting commerce,” the Florida Ports Council noted. “The Florida Ports Council engaged proactive marketing strategies in the second half of 2021 to encourage cargo ships sitting in congested and delayed California seaports to change shipping lanes and divert to Florida ports. As a result, Florida has more recently broken cargo container records, seen new shipping lines calling on Florida ports, and has successfully shifted cargo that would typically call on West Coast ports to the Sunshine State.”
“Florida is open for business, and we’re connecting commerce from ship to shelf,” said Michael Rubin, the president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council. “We’re changing the mindset of shipping lines and continuing to encourage them to shift from older, congested West Coast trade routes, to Florida seaports.”
While at TPM2022, Florida seaports will host a private networking reception, allowing port leaders to have one-on-one conversations with cargo owners, shipping lines, terminal operators and other freight-logistic companies looking to ensure their cargo gets from ship to shelf quickly and cost effectively.
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