Jacksonville rated a leading U.S. growth port

Jacksonville rated a leading U.S. growth port The Port of Jacksonville is a hot growth port indicative of the types of ports that will see the most growth in the coming years, according to a report by Global Insight, a market research and analysis company.
   'Which metro areas are the gems in the U.S. export market?' the report said. 'Jacksonville floats to the top of the list, followed by Philadelphia. This reflects the shift in shipping traffic from West Coast to East Coast ports.'
   The report, which focuses specifically on ports being used for the expanding U.S. export trades, noted that from 2001 to 2005, Jacksonville saw a 206 percent increase in the value of export cargoes, to $6.1 billion. That is the fastest growth rate in the country, topping runners up Philadelphia and Corpus Christi, Texas, which had lower growth rates and lower total export cargo values, at $1.5 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively.
   Beyond the raw data, the report said smaller ports have the best growth potential. Most of the ports listed in the report finish out of the top 10 in the United States, in terms of freight value totals. However, they have both good port infrastructure and strong intermodal connections, Global Insight said.
   Another port with among the strongest upsides, according to the national outlook, is the Port of Savannah, the closest major port and one Jacksonville's main competitors for business.