Jacksonville Port Authority sees sharp spike in cargo volumes

Oct 27, 2016: The Jacksonville Port Authority handled a sharp rise in breakbulk cargoes for the fiscal year ending September 30, with a 22 percent increase compared to the previous year. Jaxport handled nearly 888,000 tons of breakbulk cargo in fiscal year 2016, with authorities attributing the growth to strong “paper imports from Finland” and “wood pulp imports from Brazil.” The authority also reported double-digit growth in automobile imports in 2016, with 467,898 vehicles imported, a 19 percent year-on-year increase. However, a decline in vehicle exports meant that total volumes remained steady at 636,000 units. Alongside 19 percent growth in container traffic, the latest figures meant record performance for the port and are likely to fuel investment in ongoing projects at the port which include shipping channel deepening, new on-dock rail facilities, three new 100-gauge container cranes and expansion of vehicle processing. Jaxport is one the largest breakbulk hubs in the southeastern region and offers more than 1 million square feet of on-dock warehousing storage. Direct services operate from the port to Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, South America, the Caribbean and other key markets.