PortMiami container volumes continue to roar
(Miami, FL - May 27, 2015) – PortMiami continued to experience double-digit container volume growth in April; an increase of 13.5 percent year-to-date for the first seven months of FY 2015.
In April, PortMiami recorded 93,400 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), compared to the 77,050 TEUs moved during the same period last year, and for the first seven months 570,750 TEUs compared to 503,040 TEUs for the same period last year. April of 2015, was the highest TEUs throughput since December 2004, when the Port recorded 96,070 TEUs.
“PortMiami is clearly on the rise,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. “It continues its transformation and adaptation to industry needs and demands. In November 2014 industry leaders ranked PortMiami #1 in the East Coast of the U.S. for port productivity and performance for the first six calendar months of 2014. It is through solid partnerships and a continued commitment to its customers that allows PortMiami to stay competitive and generate an economic impact of approximately $27 billion and more than 207,000 jobs a year for Miami-Dade County.”
PortMiami is dedicated to providing the world’s top ocean carriers with the convenience of fast, reliable quality service. More than $1 billion of capital infrastructure projects are already in place; new super post-Panamax gantry cranes that can service cargo vessels up to 22 containers wide with up to nine containers above deck and eleven containers below; new on-dock intermodal rail service in partnership with Florida East Coast Railway linking PortMiami to 70% of the U.S. population in four days or less; as well as a new tunnel connecting the Port directly to the United States Interstate Highway System.
In addition to the already completed infrastructure improvements, PortMiami is counting down to this summer for the completion of its Deep Dredge project that is deepening the Port’s main harbor channel from -42 feet to a depth of -50/52 feet, allowing it to berth 13,000 to 14,000 TEU vessels that will come to the east coast via the soon-to-be widened Panama Canal. PortMiami will be the only major logistics hub south of Virginia capable of handling fully laden post-Panamax vessels. Currently, PortMiami is receiving ships of up to 8,700- 9,700 TEUs, but these are only arriving at the Port half full. Come this summer, PortMiami will be ready to handle fully laden post Panamax vessels.
“Reliability and top customer service is critical in the containerized cargo industry, it is as important as capacity and productivity,” said PortMiami Director and CEO Juan M. Kuryla. “At PortMiami we are dedicated to our customers. We are continuously working hard to put the infrastructure in place to provide the world’s top ocean carriers the best quality of service, but the key to our growth is largely dependent on the entire PortMiami team and its dedicated port partners that include cargo terminal operators, stevedores, steamship lines, and International Longshoremen Association’s Locals 1416 and 1922, as well as U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard, among others. Together, we ensure that every port user can efficiently conduct business at PortMiami.”
“We are extremely pleased with PortMiami’s continued performance,” said Miami-Dade County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz, Chairman of the Trade and Tourism Committee that oversees PortMiami. “The Port’s 13.5 percent year-to-date increase for the first seven months of FY 2015
is a clear indication that our seaport is moving in the right direction. We are very pleased to also see a 21 percent increase in April 2015 as compared to April 2014.”
This summer the newly deepened PortMiami will be a viable option for trade and commerce from the Southeastern United States to reach markets worldwide. This paves the way for PortMiami to become an even more reliable transshipment hub in the region.
About PortMiami
PortMiami is among America's busiest ports and recognized across the globe with the dual distinction of being the Cruise Capital of the World and the Cargo Gateway of the Americas. PortMiami contributes more than $27 billion annually to the South Florida economy and helps generate 207,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs. For more information please visit www.portmiami.biz.