Jacob Ogles
Port leaders in Florida say technology will continue to change logistics in the state, but that doesn’t mean jobs will be lost.
Hydi Webb, Port Director for PortMiami, said her docks would actively resist a degree of automation that would result in sidelining longtime employees.
“We’re a strong union port and we don’t believe in replacing jobs through AI,” she said.
The comments were made to the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee at a Thursday hearing chaired by Republican Rep. Chip LaMarca. Webb discussed the potential labor impact of AI fewer than two months after U.S. longshoremen unions reached a tentative deal and averted a strike at ports across the country. Webb said she was grateful any stop in work was avoided.
She did say automation could improve port security, and other officials discussed changes in the market and how they could affect Florida’s ports.
Changes in tariffs policies, a crackdown on illegal immigration into the U.S. and the frequency of powerful hurricanes could all impact the state’s docks, officials said.
“Most of our citizens find out about how important a seaport is to them before and after a hurricane, when they’re looking for fuel and food,” said Mike Rubin, President and CEO of the Florida Ports Council.
By their nature, ports rely on international traffic into port, and President Donald Trump’s affinity for aggressive tariffs as a trade tool could impact that. But port leaders say that doesn’t mean a stop in demand for goods to come into port.
Raul Alfonso, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Port Tampa Bay, said tariffs could impact trade with Mexico, where many goods coming from the Gulf Coast originate. But there are also partners in other nations that see growth potential in Florida’s ports. He pointed to Glovis, the logistics providing for Hyundai bringing cars to the U.S. from Asia. The company has expanded its presence at the Tampa port and currently moves 100,000 vehicles there.
Alfonso also said ports are looking to improve exports to some countries that deliver goods into the U.S. For example, the port would like to ship more into Mexico. “Right now, it’s almost 100% one-way trade,” Alfonso said.
Nick Primrose, Chief of Regulatory Compliance for JAXPORT, said right now, 60% of container revenue comes from imports. But he noted that not all traffic in and out of the Atlantic port is international. Indeed, 40% of exports go to Puerto Rico, which is considered domestic traffic, and goods also ship to U.S. ports on the Eastern Seaboard including Savannah, Georgia.
He also stressed that ports like JAXPORT are part of a larger infrastructure network.
“We’re uniquely positioned in that we’re at the crossroads of two major interstates being I-10 and I-95,” he noted. That means truck traffic in and out of JAXPORT is critical to connecting the docks with 98 million customers within a one-day truck drive of the port.
