 |
| Photo credit: Gage Skidmore/CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr |
Today, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Sea-Lead Shipping will be moving part of their operations from California (CA) to JAXPORT in order to bypass heavy congestion at the Port of Long Beach. This will be the 1st U.S. East Coast container service for the company and JAXPORT will serve as the last port of call on Sea-Lead’s Asia East Coast rotation, connecting Jacksonville to four locations in Asia. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry also joined Ron DeSantis for the announcement. You can watch the complete video footage below this article for your reference.
In this press conference DeSantis said:
“In October, in the midst of severe supply chain disruptions we made a public effort to get companies to bring more cargo to Florida ports, and we have already seen great results.” “FL continued investment in our seaports and transportation infrastructure make this exciting announcement possible. We will continue to make infrastructure investments that keep our supply chain moving and make sure that Florida (FL) has a strong workforce ready to support these businesses moving to our state.”
After Governor DeSantis's address, JAXPORT CEO Eric Green speaks to the press, he said:
“This new service, and the jobs and economic impact it brings to Jacksonville, is a direct result of the dedication and foresight of our elected officials who have invested in a deeper channel and infrastructure upgrades to enable JAXPORT to serve a wider variety of vessels,”. “We are grateful to Sea-Lead for choosing Jacksonville as a port of call on their first US East Coast service and look forward to putting our city’s efficiencies and strong transportation network to work for their customers throughout the Southeast.”
In October, Ron DeSantis visited JAXPORT to invite companies who were experiencing supply chain issues at other ports to bring their business to Florida’s ports which are open, ready for business, and able to free up backlogs at other ports. Since then, several companies have contacted JAXPORT about shifting their business to Florida, many specifically citing Governor DeSantis’ announcement as their reason for reaching out. Additionally, Florida’s ports have seen tremendous growth in cargo. Florida’s seaports have been working aggressively to expand cargo operations:
- Port Miami recorded its busiest cargo year in its history, up almost 18% over last year with most of the additional cargo attributed to imports coming from Asia which would normally go into California.
- Port Tampa container tonnage increased by 14% in the first quarter of 2022, with huge jumps in building material specifically. Steel is up 122% and lumber is up 160%. Read Full report here.
Since 2019, Florida has invested nearly $1 billion into its seaports to ensure that they have the capacity to serve as much cargo as possible. The state has also prioritized infrastructure investments in roadways to ensure the capability of handling freight movements. Ron DeSantis proposed $10.4 billion in his Freedom First budget for Florida’s transportation infrastructure.
Sea-Lead is a privately owned global shipping line, HQ in Singapore, with a presence in eighteen countries. The company has been considering South Atlantic ports for their new vessel service to avoid congestion at the Port of Long Beach. Sea-Lead has been in communication with SSA Marine, the terminal operator at JAXPORT, and will call JAXPORT’s Blount Island Terminal every two weeks, beginning in May 2022. Sea-Lead’s move to JAXPORT can be attributed to berth availability, the strong labor force available in Jacksonville, and the strong infrastructure connecting freight to consumers. JAXPORT has same-day truck access to ninety-eight million US consumers. Sea-Lead’s new service is initially expected to bring around 500 loaded containers to be discharged at JAXPORT and will bring in 400,000 dollars in new revenue.
Media Release: Office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis
Comments
Post a Comment
Please do not enter any spam link in the comment box.