JaxPort box volumes up 23% so far in FY2018

Container volumes at the Port of Jacksonville in jumped 23 percent year-over-year to 204,492 TEUs in the first two months of the port’s fiscal year 2018, which began Oct. 1, according to recent data from the Jacksonville Port Authority (JaxPort).    The Port of Jacksonville in northeast Florida moved 204,492 TEUs during the first two months of its fiscal year 2018, which began Oct. 1 2017, compared to 165,571 TEUs during the same period in fiscal year 2017, according to recent data from the Jacksonville Port Authority (JaxPort).
   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.