WASHINGTON: South Florida ports reported mixed results for the first half of fiscal 2016 running October through March. Port Everglades saw a 2 percent dip in both containerized cargo volume and multiday cruise passenger traffic during the period. PortMiami’s cargo business, meanwhile, grew nearly nine percent.
The Port of Palm Beach saw a 0.4 percent gain in containerized shipments, while other types of cargo tonnage grew about 23 percent during the period. The ports are of significant importance to the local economy and are responsible for more than 222,000 jobs in the tri-county area. The Miami and Fort Lauderdale ports are among the three busiest recreational cruise ports in the world.
For multiday cruise business, PortMiami saw a 6.4 percent decline in passenger traffic while Port of Palm Beach had a 124 percent increase in the October through March period.
Jim Pyburn, Port Everglades’ director of business development attributed the decline in cargo volume to a drop in exports to Latin America and a tenant transferring a portion of its shipments to PortMiami. Shipped volume from the Fort Lauderdale seaport declined to 532,653 TEUs (meaning “trailer equivalent units,” a standard measure for containers) from 545,194 TEUs the previous year.
A stronger U.S. dollar made some exports more expensive, triggering a decline in shipments to Latin America, Pyburn said. Automobile parts and medical products were among the hardest-hit sectors, he said. Despite the dip, Pyburn expects cargo to pick up enough to make 2016 flat for the full fiscal year.
Petroleum activity at Port Everglades rose six percent from 58 million barrels to 61.2 million barrels during the period. “We’re doing very well here,” Pyburn said. A slight dip in Port Everglades’ multiday cruise passenger volume was caused by the temporary replacement of the 5,400-passenger Allure of the Seas by the 3,634-passenger Independence of the Seas, Pyburn said. The larger ship was repositioned to Europe last summer and did not return until late November.
