Cuba an opportunity for JaxPort?

[tufsu1]

And until short sea shipping is implemented, Jacksonville is the first logical port to rail connection for any Carribbean or Cuban goods trying to get a cheap distribution throughout the country.

take a look at the investments FEC is making at Port of Miami and CSX is making at Port of Tampa

[CityLife]

My point about ties to Cuba never in any way implied that those ties would be a deciding factor. Was merely pointing out that it may be a factor and I absolutely think it may be. There are 63,000 Cubans in the Tampa Bay area. Don't have the numbers for Jax, but I'd guess that Tampa has at least 10x more. I'd imagine that means there are a lot more products that would be shipped from Cuba to serve their Cuban residents and that there are more businesses in the Tampa area that would use Cuban products. Not to mention there are probably a lot more ties between prominent Cuban families in Tampa and leaders in Cuba.

Sure at the end of the day logistics and financials are going to be the deciding factor, but having stronger political and societal ties and greater demand for products locally could absolutely make a difference, especially if everything else is equal between the two.

Well the point of trade ports from one country to the  next isnt to move product from one country to one city.  Its to move it throughout the country.

And until short sea shipping is implemented, Jacksonville is the first logical port to rail connection for any Carribbean or Cuban goods trying to get a cheap distribution throughout the country.

Im sure Lunican could probably provide some insight on the simple issue of freight distribution lines.

I'm clearly aware of that, but as I said, if all things are equal or even close to parity, greater societal and political ties can absolutely make an impact...hence why Tampa is even trying to restore its ties to Cuba. If Jacksonville had the same ties to Cuba that Tampa does, our leadership wouldn't be 18 months behind the curve....

And yes the end game of trade ports is to distribute goods and services throughout the land....but if said land happens to be closer to that port, than that is a major cost reduction. Simply put, Tampa is MUCH closer to the population and business base of Cuban Americans. So it may be much more cost effective to ship there and disperse goods to Cubans in Florida than it is to do the same from Jacksonville vs the savings in shipping from
Jax up the East Coast....and yes I am also aware that not all imports from Cuba will be going to Cuban Americans.

[CityLife]

^That seems to be a generally pervasive problem in Jacksonville, so I'd say quite likely an issue...but if we had some prominent Cuban families in this city with some inside scoop on future plans for Cuba's economy, we may have been better prepared to pounce.

Here's an interesting read on Tampa's trip to Cuba

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/cuba-trip-underscores-potential-connections-for-tampa-local-officials-say/2125452

[CityLife]

^That seems to be a generally pervasive problem in Jacksonville, so I'd say quite likely an issue...but if we had some prominent Cuban families in this city with some inside scoop on future plans for Cuba's economy, we may have been better prepared to pounce.

Here's an interesting read on Tampa's trip to Cuba

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/cuba-trip-underscores-potential-connections-for-tampa-local-officials-say/2125452

How about even a bilingual permanent employee of our Port?

That might be a start in dealing with Latin America, Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Just sayin.....

But there is no amount of family connection that gets additional freight lines built to make better economic sense to a shipper.

Seriously? Nobody at the port speaks Spanish? If so, scary...

To the other point, how much of Cuba's exports will end up in the Tampa/South Florida area and how many end up further up the East Coast of the US?

[thelakelander]

My point about ties to Cuba never in any way implied that those ties would be a deciding factor. Was merely pointing out that it may be a factor and I absolutely think it may be. There are 63,000 Cubans in the Tampa Bay area. Don't have the numbers for Jax, but I'd guess that Tampa has at least 10x more. I'd imagine that means there are a lot more products that would be shipped from Cuba to serve their Cuban residents and that there are more businesses in the Tampa area that would use Cuban products. Not to mention there are probably a lot more ties between prominent Cuban families in Tampa and leaders in Cuba.

Sure at the end of the day logistics and financials are going to be the deciding factor, but having stronger political and societal ties and greater demand for products locally could absolutely make a difference, especially if everything else is equal between the two.

Well the point of trade ports from one country to the  next isnt to move product from one country to one city.  Its to move it throughout the country.

And until short sea shipping is implemented, Jacksonville is the first logical port to rail connection for any Carribbean or Cuban goods trying to get a cheap distribution throughout the country.

Im sure Lunican could probably provide some insight on the simple issue of freight distribution lines.

Don't know about that. FEC is putting their money into South Florida infrastructure. Ultimately, there's a ton of factors at play. What makes Jax suitable for one company, product or destination may not be for another.