by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
With no American companies manufacturing televisions, radios, CD players or just about any description of consumer electronics, that category of merchandise certainly qualifies as a balance-of-trade issue but when it comes to Jacksonville’s port, it’s all good.
“We make money with imports due to the movement of cargo,” said Rick Ferrin, executive director of the Jacksonville Port Authority.
Ferrin was speaking at the Jacksonville stop of the “America Wins with Trade” tour sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
“Whether it’s import or export, moving cargo creates jobs whether it’s loading or unloading, processing or distribution. It provides jobs for tugboat drivers, truck drivers and stevedores,” he said.
The tour bus that was parked in front of City Hall Tuesday morning is on a seven-week nationwide tour that will visit 34 states.
Jacksonville was chosen as a stop, said Tour Coordinator Keith Nahigian, because, “Your port is one of America’s economic engines and this tour is all about getting the word out about what free trade means to this country and the number of jobs it creates.”
With one new port terminal under construction and another in the final stages of negotiation, Jacksonville has made a commitment to provide the infrastructure required to support additional cargo movement, said Council member Jack Webb, who added, “I’m now in private practice, but before I was elected to the Council, I worked for CIVA Logistics, so I understand how important trade issues are to our economy.”
In addition to more shipping lines and the jobs they create coming to Jacksonville, there may be another aspect of trade in the city’s future, said Michael Breen, International Department Director for the Cornerstone partnership of the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce. While the new port terminals will support shipping lines from Asia, other nations may be the next addition to Jacksonville’s import-export portfolio.
“There are companies in Europe looking to bring manufacturing to Jacksonville. They would import parts and then export finished products,” said Breen.
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