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A cornerstone for Jacksonville’s support of the world’s supply chain is the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT). Spanning more than 1,500 acres of land, JAXPORT boasts a diverse portfolio of terminals, each tailored to accommodate various types of cargo including containers automobiles, bulk commodities and refrigerated goods. JAXPORT is Florida’s largest container port by volume, one of the top 10 container ports in the nation and was voted the top port on the East Coast for overall customer satisfaction by Logistics Management.

Jacksonville’s strategic locale as the westernmost city on the East Coast provides distinct advantages for JAXPORT and the region. JAXPORT offers connectivity to 140 ports in more than 70 countries with its 47-foot-deepwater shipping channel, two-way ship traffic and same-day access to 98 million consumers in the United States. As Jacksonville’s logistics influence has grown, more and more companies are embedding operations in Northeast Florida:

• Southeast Toyota Distributors, the world’s largest independent distributor of Toyotas, is building a new 250,000-square-foot state-of-the-art auto processing facility at JAXPORT’s Blount Island Marine Terminal. The project is a $120 million public-private partnership that will modernize the company’s operations and is slated for completion in 2025.
• Enstructure recently entered into a 30-year agreement for the lease and development of 79-acres of waterfront property at their Talleyrand Marine Terminal, growing JAXPORT’s capacity to handle non-containerized cargo, such as forest products, by 20 percent.
• Trailer Bridge strengthened the connectivity between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico by mirroring its long-term presence at JAXPORT with a 20-year lease and $85 million investment in the Puerto Rico Marine Terminal.
• Eagle LNG is scheduled to invest $500 million into its liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility to cover nearly 200 acres on the city’s Northside. The facility will have a processing capacity of 1.65 million gallons of LNG per day for exporting to the Caribbean. Since 2020, Eagle has supplied Jacksonville-based Crowley through their Maxville liquefication and Talleyrand bunkering facilities.

Recent announcements this year also include Massy Distribution investing $30 million into the creation of a main distribution center that will be set up as a foreign trade zone for exporting grocery product into the Caribbean region; Polmix, an Italian manufacturer and distributor of resin products, establishing a distribution facility that will serve as its U.S. headquarters; and The Terminal Corporation establishing a new distribution center — each will heavily utilize JAXPORT for their operations.

While JAXPORT continues to grow its corporate presence, it is also focused on the future by adding capacity and infrastructure. Recent announcements include a $72 million project to expand and modernize the SSA Jacksonville Container Terminal, the addition of three new 100-gauge container cranes and $100 million in berth enhancements at Blount Island in coordination with the completion of the 47-foot Jacksonville Harbor Deepening Project.

JAXPORT is also growing as a port of embarkation for cruises – Carnival Cruise Line has been departing from Jacksonville for more than 20 years and just recently extended their agreement. Earlier this year, Norwegian Cruise Line announced its plans to set sail from JAXPORT in November 2025. To date, the cruise industry in Jacksonville supports nearly 800 jobs and more than $187 million in annual economic impact for Northeast Florida.

JAXPORT continues to invest in the future, growing Jacksonville’s global competitiveness in trade and transportation and delivering jobs and prosperity to the people of Northeast Florida. As global trade continues to evolve and expand, JAXPORT remains steadfast in its mission to connect markets, empower communities and drive prosperity for generations to come.