Port of Jacksonville Continues Strong Growth in February
February proved a strong month for the Port of Jacksonville, showing significant increases in several shipping categories.
Jaxport said container volumes increased 25% this year compared with the same period in 2017. More than 100,346 20-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, moved through the port during February, while a year ago 80,412 were handled.
Containers are unloaded at Jaxport's TraPac Container Terminal. (Jacksonville Port Authority)
Products from Asia continue to be integral to the port’s business. Asian container volumes were up 15% compared with February 2017, with 34,550 TEUs processed.
During the past five years, Jaxport has recorded an average of 21% annual growth in Asian container volumes. Port officials attribute some of the increase to the project underway that is deepening the Jacksonville shipping channel to 47 feet.
That expansion will make the port the first one on the U.S. East Coast capable of handling new, fully loaded Panamax class vessels. “The continued growth of our container volumes indicates northeast Florida’s increasing competitiveness in the marketplace,” Jaxport CEO Eric Green said. “As we continue to invest in the port of the future, more and more shippers are taking notice of our region’s transportation advantages and the opportunities we offer to reach their customers quickly and easily.”
Jaxport is the primary U.S. port for commercial trade with Puerto Rico, and as the U.S. territory continues to rebuild from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria last September, officials said Puerto Rican shipping was up 35% this February compared with last February, to 57,242 TEUs from 42,351.
