Two Florida ports, Port Everglades and the Port of Palm Beach, reported a drop in bulk cargo for the fiscal year ended September 30, due largely to the decrease in imports of building products like steel and cement.
The seaports report that they are trying to make up for the decline with other business, such as containerized freight. Despite its 2.6 percent decline in waterborne commerce, Port Everglades handled a record amount of containerized freight during the year - 6.1 million tons, equal to 950,000 20-ft trailers, up 6.5 percent from the previous year.
At the port of Palm Beach, while total cargo volumes were roughly flat from the last fiscal year at about 4 million tons, containerized cargo rose slightly to one quarter million 20-foot trailers, helping to offset bulk cargo losses, like the 80 percent drop in steel tonnage.
Other businesses these ports are turning to in the absence of steel imports include biofuels such as ethanol as well as cruise ship activities.