This 23 percent increase in volumes is partially due to the port’s Asian container volumes rising 13 percent in the first two months of the fiscal year, with over 65,227 TEUs, JaxPort said. The port has recorded an average of 21 percent in annual growth in Asian container volumes, according to port authority data.
Volumes to and from Puerto Rico grew nearly 40 percent during the firs two months of the fiscal year to 125,537 TEUs moved, up from 90,244 TEUs during the same period a year ago. The port is also currently recording double-digit growth in vessel calls and total tonnage, each up 19 percent year-over-year, said JaxPort.
While a federal project to deepen the Jacksonville shipping channel to 47 feet is set to begin construction in early 2018, local environmental nonprofit the St. John’s Riverkeeper is pushing to postpone the project. The organization filed a motion for preliminary injunction earlier this month, contending that before the dredging can proceed for the new 11-mile plan, it must be formally evaluated by the Army Corps of Engineers.
However, the Corps stated that the project is still on track to begin in late January.
