JAXPORT has recorded 634,460 TEU after an increase in trade from Asia during the first six months of the fiscal year 2018 — an increase of 27% in its total container shipments when compared to results from last year.
The port authority in the US state of Florida attributed its double-digit growth primarily to the federal project to deepen the Jacksonville shipping channel to 47 feet as this has allowed it to accommodate more cargo aboard the largest container ships from Asia.
JAXPORT reported that Asia pushed figures up by 16% in the first six months of the fiscal year, with 209,803 TEU moved.
During the past five years, JAXPORT has recorded an average of 21% annual growth in Asian container volumes.
JAXPORT’s Puerto Rican volumes have also increased, growing 40% with 375,633 TEU moved, up from 267,827 during the same time last year.
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As the primary US port for trade with Puerto Rico, JAXPORT and its partners continue to supply aid to the residents following Hurricane Maria’s devastation in September.
Last year, JAXPORT and private users of the harbour moved more than 1.3 million TEU, making Jacksonville the top container port complex in Florida.
JAXPORT’s fiscal year runs October 1 through September 30.
