Florida Seaports, Mexican Gulf Ports Boost Effort to Promote International Economic Development

By  //  July 2, 2020

agreement became effective July 1

The Florida Ports Council, which includes Brevard County’s Port Canaveral, and the Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine, facilitated the initial meeting of a Florida/Mexico Working Group to review and identify issues opportunities and challenges to enhance the flow of international commerce via all-water routes. (Florida Ports Council image)

(CAPITAL SOUP) – The Florida Ports Council, which includes Brevard County’s Port Canaveral, and the Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine, facilitated the initial meeting of a Florida/Mexico Working Group to review and identify issues, opportunities and challenges to enhance the flow of international commerce via all-water routes.

Of Florida’s 15 deep-water seaports, eight sent representatives to Mexico. In addition to those from Port Canaveral, representatives included JAXPORT, Port Manatee, PortMiami, Port Panama City, the Port of Pensacola, Port Everglades and Port Tampa Bay.

This meeting is timely as it comes ahead of the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement going into effect today, July 1st.

The Florida/Mexico Working Group was developed as a result of a Letter of Intent signed by FPC and the Coordinadora de Puertos in November.

LOI participants pledged to create a working group of twelve maritime commerce members from Mexico and Florida to grow maritime trade between the two entities.

The Florida Ports Council, which includes Brevard County’s Port Canaveral, and the Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine, facilitated the initial meeting of a Florida/Mexico Working Group to review and identify issues, opportunities and challenges to enhance the flow of international commerce via all-water routes.

“Mexico has long been one of Florida’s strongest trading partners, but we see substantial opportunities for growth in bilateral waterborne trade,” said Doug Wheeler, president and CEO of the Florida Ports Council.

“The Letter of Intent that was signed in November by Florida and the Mexican gulf ports was just the first step in this process, and the meeting of the working group this week furthered our commitment to pursue benefits and solutions an all-water route will provide.”

In July 2019, delegation members from FPC, Enterprise Florida and World Trade Center Miami traveled to Mexico City to promote the all-water trade route through Florida.

FPC coordinated with Jonathan Chiat Auerbach, the Consul General of Mexico in Miami, and Enterprise Florida’s Mexico City office to schedule meetings for the delegation with government officials and agencies, customs officials and the Coordinadora de Puertos.

In November, the Mexican delegation traveled to Miami where the LOI was signed.

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