Florida dominates air freight moves for Latin America, Caribbean

Florida dominates air freight moves for Latin America, Caribbean Three-fourths of all air freight movements between the United States and the Latin America and Caribbean markets move through the state of Florida, according to a report from Greenheart Economics LLC.
   For air trade involving Central America, South America and the Caribbean islands, Florida is 'dominant in all three regions,' said the study, released in conjunction with this week's AirCargo Americas Conference in Miami.
   Florida, primarily Miami International Airport, is the gateway for 80 percent of all air trade with Central America. For South America, the share is 76 percent, while for the Caribbean islands it is 66 percent.
   The report said the single largest type of air freight for the region is perishables moving into Florida. That includes fruits and vegetables, flowers and seafood. The largest inbound commodity is asparagus from Peru, followed by flowers from Colombia, Ecuador and Costa Rica; and then seafood from Chile, Ecuador and Brazil.
   For exports, the leading U.S. products moving to the three markets are computers and peripheral equipment, telecommunications equipment, and construction and mining equipment.
   The report noted the fourth-largest export item is components for the apparel industry in the Caribbean and Central America. But that sector has decreased sharply since 2004 because of competition from China. Those exports decreased from 8.4 million kilograms in 2004 to 3.5 million kilograms in 2006.