JAXPORT sets volume record for third straight year

   JAXPORT’s public seaport terminals achieved record growth in container volumes, recording double-digit growth during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. 
   JAXPORT said it moved nearly 1.3 million TEUs, a 23 percent increase over 2017. JAXPORT has set container volume records the past three years.
   When combined with the containers handled through private terminals, the Port of Jacksonville is Florida’s largest container port complex. And the federal project to deepen the Jacksonville shipping channel to 47 feet to accommodate even more cargo aboard the largest ships is well under way.
   JAXPORT said the Asian container trade continues to show significant growth, achieving 12 percent growth in the past year, with nearly 429,000 Asian containers moved. JAXPORT’s Asian trade has grown an average of 14 percent annually over the past five years. 
   JAXPORT remains one of the nation’s busiest vehicle-handling ports, moving more than 665,000 units in FY18. JAXPORT offers service from three major auto processors — AMPORTS, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Solutions and Southeast Toyota Distributors — and a project to expand the port’s vehicle-handling capacity by more than 25 percent began construction earlier this year.
   The growth in general cargo volumes fueled another record for the port. Nearly 10.5 million tons of cargo moved through JAXPORT last year, up 12 percent over 2017, which also was a record year for cargo tonnage.
   Other 2018 highlights include:
    • Liquid bulk cargoes, which include cooking oil and corn syrup, increased 19 percent over 2017, with more than 365,000 tons shipped.
    • JAXPORT’s Puerto Rican container business grew 37 percent in FY18. As the primary U.S. port for commercial trade with Puerto Rico, JAXPORT and its partners continue to supply relief aid to the residents following Hurricane Maria’s devastation in September 2017.