Port Everglades handles record container volumes in December

The Broward County, Fla. port posted a throughput of 104,590 TEUs for December 2016, a 15 percent increase from 12 months prior and the highest monthly total in the port’s history.    Port Everglades handled 104,590 TEUs in December 2016, a 15 percent increase from the previous year and the highest monthly total in the port’s history.
   The Broward County, Fla. port attributed the growth primarily to a resurgence in trade with Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, including perishable products.
   “These market increases can also be partially attributed to the change in vessel sharing agreements between Crowley Liner Service and Seaboard Marine,” the port noted.
   In addition, several new services began calling Port Everglades in the past year, including Hapag-Lloyd’s Mediterranean Gulf Express (MGX) loop, which brings about 300-400 TEUs per week to the port, and SeaLand and APL’s North American Express Service (NAE/ACX), which calls at Port Everglades as the first and last stop in the U.S. each week.
   “Our customers are bringing in higher volumes of consumer goods such as produce, clothing and household goods as the region’s population increases. It’s an indication of a strengthening economy,” Port Everglades Chief Executive and Port Director Steven Cernak said in a statement.
   “Port Everglades helped spearhead a pilot program to bring refrigerated produce from South America directly to Florida, when it was previously restricted to only coming into northern US ports,” added Jim Pyburn, Port Everglades director of business development. “The pilot program was a great success and now we are seeing a wider variety of produce coming to South Florida faster and fresher than when it was trucked here from the Northeast.”