The Florida Supply Chain Summit is scheduled to take place from September 9-11 in Miami. Now in its fifth year, the summit aims to engage statewide stakeholders and advance efforts to develop Florida as a global trade hub.

Port Canaveral has once again earned Green Marine re-certification, underscoring the port’s commitment to environmental excellence in its operations. This marks the port’s eighth consecutive certification by the international organization. The award was presented at the GreenTech2024 environmental conference held recently in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) is celebrating the Supreme Court of the United States' decision in the case Loper Bright Enterprises, et. al. v. Raimondo, which ends Chevron deference. This legal doctrine generally required federal courts to defer to an agency’s interpretation of an ambiguous statute as long as the interpretation was reasonable.

Attorney General Ashley Moody today led a 23-state coalition of attorneys general opposing the Biden administration’s latest regulations on household appliances. The coalition contends that new standards for washing machines will impose unnecessary costs on consumers and negatively impact product performance.

SeaPort Manatee has experienced a significant surge in exports over the past five years, according to port officials. Exports have risen by 231.55% during this period and increased by 11.6% in the last year alone.

The Broward County Commission recently confirmed the County Administrator’s appointment of Joseph Morris as the new Port Director at Port Everglades. Morris is the former Port Director for the Massachusetts Port Authority, where he worked for four years, originally as the Deputy Port Director of Operations.

Ocean carrier Ocean Network Express’s (ONE) new West India North America (WIN) container service has commenced operations at Jacksonville with the arrival of the container ship ONE Modern. This marks the Jacksonville Port Authority’s (JAXPORT) first direct container service with the Indian subcontinent.

FloridaCommerce has approved more than $2.1 million in funding through the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support small businesses affected by recent flooding in South Florida. To date, 66 businesses have been approved to receive these funds, which are designed to provide interim financial relief while they await other sources of funding, such as insurance payouts.

Work is progressing on a $39 million capital improvement project to rebuild Port Canaveral’s North Cargo Berth 4 (NCB4). The project involves removing the existing over-the-water pier, which has been out of service for nearly 10 years, and replacing it with a 981-foot-long multi-purpose, multi-user wharf. North Cargo Berth 4 is adjacent to the newly rebuilt North Cargo Berth 3 (NCB3), an 880-foot-long multi-purpose berth that went into service in June 2023.

Leadership from the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) recently traveled to San Juan to join the Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) in hosting the inaugural Puerto Rico – Jacksonville Ports and Partners Summit on the island. Jacksonville is the number one port in the United States for trade with Puerto Rico, handling nearly 90 percent of all sea trade between the island and the U.S. mainland.

The Riviera Beach Police Foundation has appointed Port of Palm Beach Executive Director Michael Meekins to its Board of Directors. "I am honored to join the Board of Directors, allowing me to contribute to the nonprofit’s mission and objectives," said Meekins.

Tallahassee, Fla., July 8, 2024 – Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. announced the selected books for the Commissioner’s Book of the Month for July. This monthly reading challenge aims to promote literacy and reading engagement in preK-12 schools. Each month, Commissioner Diaz highlights five recommended books—one per selected grade range.

Port Tampa Bay, Florida’s largest and most diversified seaport, stands as the primary economic engine in West Central Florida. Situated on the Interstate-4 Corridor, it supports a variety of maritime and related activities, including shipbuilding and repair facilities, cruise operations, and handling the highest cargo tonnage volume in the state.

The Port of Palm Beach recently participated in the All About the Ocean Night at Roger Dean Stadium, where the Jupiter Hammerheads played against the Clearwater Threshers. The event, held in June, aimed to promote marine conservation and education.

Operational performance at Port Everglades notably improved in 2023, placing the Broward County, Florida, seaport in the top 20% of ports worldwide, according to the latest Container Port Performance Index (CPPI). At a global level, Port Everglades is ranked No. 65 — up from the previous year’s ranking of No. 89. In 2021, the port was No. 116. Regionally, including the United States and Canada, Port Everglades claims the No. 3 spot, up two spots from the 2022 report, and remains No. 1 in Florida.

It has been said that everything good and magical happens between the months of June and August. For Florida’s system of seaports, there are many positive developments occurring.

The court-appointed receiver continues to remove the soft materials associated with the previous Port Manatee Berth 12 dredging project from the NGS-South compartment. To date, more than 151,000 cubic yards have been removed for dewatering and consolidation.

Operation Dry Water (ODW) weekend will take place from July 4 through July 6. The national weekend of Boating Under the Influence (BUI) detection and enforcement aims to reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related boating incidents and fatalities. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and other participating law enforcement agencies will work together to make Florida waterbodies safer by identifying and removing dangerous or impaired vessel operators.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced the introduction of two new license hard card designs featuring student artwork from this year’s Florida State Fish Art Contest. Grace Wang’s depiction of a Florida bass and Emma Nemes’ representation of a snook were selected as the new freshwater and saltwater designs, respectively.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is urging beachgoers to help protect sea turtles and waterbirds during the Fourth of July weekend. Nesting season is currently underway for several imperiled species, including sea turtles, shorebirds, seabirds, and wading birds.