Port Canaveral cruise ships (FOX / file)
PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. - Governor Ron DeSantis says Florida could be the answer to the nation’s supply chain issues, but the top captain in Port Canaveral says this port may not be a huge part of that plan.
"We in Florida have the ability to help alleviate these log jams and ameliorate the problems with the supply chain," said Gov. Ron DeSantis at a press conference in JAXPORT Tuesday.
The governor committed to helping solve the nation’s supply chain issues, reminding folks that here in Florida "we have been and are continued to be open for business." That includes our ports.
California recently announced it would open its ports 24/7 to clear the backlog of cargo.
Gov. DeSantis promised Florida has open capacity and can do the same.
But at Port Canaveral, most of the business is cruising.
Chief Executive Officer at Canaveral Port Authority Captain John Murray says only 20% is cargo.
"It’s usually construction materials. We have salt, petroleum. Most of our cargo is bulk. We have a very minute amount of container business," Capt. Murray said.
Florida is still a big player in the shipping game.
"There’s some great connections to rail lines at Miami, Everglades and Jacksonville. You can put it onto those, move it into a rail line and up to anywhere really. Two days gets you probably to the Chicago area," said President and CEO of Florida Ports Council Michael Rubin.
It’s just that Capt. Murray says you likely won’t see that kind of action here in Port Canaveral.
"Probably not," he said. "We’re not a big container port and what a lot of folks don’t understand about containers is the money that a container shipping company spends on land is generally more than what it is on the water, so you always want to get that cargo as close to the final destination as possible."
Gov. DeSantis announced there would be incentives for companies that bring their business to the port in Jacksonville.
Capt. Murray says he hasn’t been told about any incentives in Port Canaveral.