Global Connectivity

With more than 30 countries represented by a diverse group of companies, Northeast Florida is a growing hub for international business.

Our global reputation helps us attract companies, including France-based Saft, German-based Deutsche Bank and Brazilian-based Embraer. Our regional population of 1.9 million people and labor force comprised of more than 872,000 skilled workers creates a strong talent base. Jacksonville has a diverse industry base in the state and our westernmost location on the East Coast uniquely positions us with same-day access to the entire Southeastern consumer market.

JAX Global Trade: Part of the joint Brookings and JPMorgan Chase Global Cities Initiative, the Jacksonville region is strategically focused on connecting the metro’s trade, economic development, business and political leaders to boost exports of local goods and services to countries around the world. Current trends show that opportunities exist for companies looking to expand beyond traditional domestic markets. Learn more about the region’s increasing international trade and growth strategies at JAX Global Trade.

America’s Logistics Center: We are America’s Logistics Center. As one of the only regions offering a logistics infrastructure that includes rail, air, maritime and highway, it is easy to see why Global Trade magazine continues to select Jacksonville as a top U.S. logistics hub. Our region exports more than $5.4 billion in goods and services annually. And, our modern transportation infrastructure includes 10 airports, an FAA-licensed horizontal spaceport, two deep-water ports with four marine terminals, a strong network of railways and direct access to major roadways and interstates.

Foreign Trade Zone: Our Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) spans the entire seven-county region, helping companies doing business internationally reduce the cost of operations and function more efficiently. The FTZ operates under the Alternative Site Framework (ASF), which extends the zone to include 10 counties and more than 5,000 square miles within Northeast Florida. Jacksonville’s FTZ (No. 64) is the largest of Florida’s 21 FTZs, which is based on a combined value of import/export trade. Some of the best industrial lands sites in the country are available within Jacksonville’s FTZ and provide close proximity to JAXPORT.

Deep-Water Ports: JAXPORT is one of the region’s two deep-water ports and is the #1 container port complex in Florida. The port supports more than 138,500 jobs and has an annual economic impact of $31.1 billion. JAXPORT has added new direct port calls from dozens of ocean carriers and more than 100 transshipment port calls worldwide. It is one of only 17 U.S. strategic ports on-call to move military cargo for the defense industry and the only one in Florida.

The Port of Fernandina, located in Nassau County at the Florida/Georgia border, is the region’s other deep-water port. Containerized commodities moving through the port include consumer goods, building materials, plastics and frozen foods.