Panelists explore how JAXPORT is well positioned for continued success across diverse business lines

The 2025 State of the Port highlighted the advantages driving growth for Jacksonville’s maritime community across trade lanes and cargo types

Written By Marcia Pledger

The State of the Port event, hosted by the Propeller Club – Port of Jacksonville in February, attracted 600 transportation leaders from throughout the supply chain, including terminal operators, ocean carriers, rail providers, logistics managers, and longshoremen.

Following an update on the port’s major growth projects and plans for the future from Chief Executive Officer Eric Green, a panel of industry experts offered a glimpse into some of the trends contributing to JAXPORT’s growth across the port’s trade lanes and cargo types. The experts included JAXPORT cargo development directors Alberto Cabrera and Rick Schiappacasse as well as Seema Singh, Chief Commercial Officer for India-based freight forwarder and U.S. Customs broker Babaji Shivram, which provides global logistics services to shippers and cargo owners.

The event’s theme, “The X factor,” was a nod to Jacksonville’s location in the heart of the U.S. Southeast. Singh noted that the city’s strategic location supports her company’s ability to reach customers throughout the region quickly and efficiently.

“Jacksonville’s location provides a perfect blend of cost, connectivity and efficiency,” Singh said. “It allows customers a one-day drive to manufacturers.”

As a freight forwarder and U.S. Customs broker, Babaji Shivram streamlines complex logistics processes to be compliant with trade regulations between the US and countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

Singh added that JAXPORT’s terminals in Northeast Florida along the U.S. East Coast and the port’s connections to three major nationwide interstates reduce transportation costs for shippers and make it more efficient to move products from origin to destination.

Global supply chain disruption and emerging trade lanes were key topics of the discussion, as trade between the Indian subcontinent and the U.S. is growing. Ocean carrier services connecting JAXPORT and India have increased in recent years through new partnerships.

Most of the world’s freight moves on international container shipping lines that are broken into consortiums called alliances. Two of the industry’s three alliances made changes in February 2025, restructuring to form either new alliances or stand-alone services. JAXPORT now has a more robust service network with the ability to reach more global ports than ever before.

Singh said the carrier alliance changes provide new opportunities to optimize their services.

 “The new alliances will look at niche markets and specialize their needs. Customers can definitely strengthen their position,” she said.

Another advantage positioning JAXPORT for success is the infrastructure investments that enhance the port’s efficiencies. The three domestic ocean carriers in Jacksonville that serve Puerto Rico – JAXPORT’s longest-running trade partnership – are committed to maintaining investments that benefit the island’s residents.

While infrastructure challenges have impacted Puerto Rico in recent years, such as hurricanes and electrical blackouts, JAXPORT’s Cabrera shared how there are continued opportunities in Puerto Rico.

“Puerto Rico has had a rough go, it really has,” Cabrera said. “But working in this industry since the late 80s, it is the most resilient trade lane I’ve ever worked in. The people who work in Puerto Rico are what drives that resilience.”

JAXPORT handles nearly 90 percent of all sea trade between the island and the U.S. mainland and offers reliable weekly sailings. These sailings have moved everything from relief supplies following natural disasters, including Hurricane Maria, to power poles that are helping rebuild the island’s electrical grid.

“Our terminal operators continue to support the infrastructure work being done in Puerto Rico by sending needed materials to the island from Jacksonville,” Cabrera said.

In addition to the household goods, vehicles and other products that have moved regularly to Puerto Rico for years, critical community-building materials and hardware are also moving to the island.

Moving forward, Cabrera said Puerto Rico’s government is working to increase manufacturing for pharmaceuticals and other commodities.

“In speaking with my counterparts in Puerto Rico, the outlook is good. They’re very positive. A lot of things happening worldwide are putting more eyes on Puerto Rico, such as nearshoring and tariffs,” Cabrera said. “I’m feeling very bullish about their manufacturing for the next three or four years. It’s great for everybody in this room involved in the Puerto Rico trade.”

From the Puerto Rico trade to the growth of major cargo types, JAXPORT’s diversification also served as a key component to Jacksonville’s maritime and logistics growth. Volumes of breakbulk (cargo shipped outside of a container) have accelerated over the years since the pandemic.

“We are a good candidate for breakbulk cargo because we have the experienced terminal operators and capabilities to handle customized shipments,” JAXPORT’s Schiappacasse said.

When container prices increased a couple of years ago, companies that had never considered moving cargo as breakbulk decided to try that option to keep costs down. JAXPORT saw pineapples, scotch, and gin move outside of a container in addition to its regular breakbulk cargoes, including massive paper rolls for printing high-end glossy magazines and manufacturing paper items. JAXPORT’s location is prime for serving tissue plants in Florida and Georgia, which manufacture paper products such as toilet paper in the U.S.

Additionally, another non-containerized type of cargo that is quickly growing is dry bulk, which includes a range of materials, such as metal, cement, sand, and gravel, all used for state road construction projects.

“We’ve proven time and time again that we can handle breakbulk cargo when many ports might shy away from it,” Schiappacasse said.

Looking ahead, JAXPORT’s future remains bright, bolstered by expanded cargo-handling capabilities and efficiencies, which have driven the growth of Jacksonville’s commercial warehousing.

“We have a tremendous amount of new buildings near our terminals that are drawing in some new business. We’re going to be bringing in some more seafood and imports as well as seafood exports,” Schiappacasse said.

In addition to the port’s geographical location, rail capabilities make it attractive to auto manufacturers.

“We are the largest port with land mass available in proximity to the population receiving the cars,” Cabrera said. “Manufacturers are driven to our processors and carriers.”

As a landlord port, JAXPORT continues to invest in modernizing its facilities. Terminal operators such as Southeast Toyota Distributors and AMPORTS are vital in moving new vehicles to key markets across the U.S. Southeast and Florida.

With strategic investments, infrastructure enhancements, and a diversified cargo portfolio, JAXPORT is well-positioned for continued success in the evolving global trade landscape.

About the Panel

Jeannie Blaylock is an award-winning evening anchor and reporter at First Coast News who moderated the State of the Port panel. She expressed an appreciation for JAXPORT employees to business professionals in the audience.

“The expertise in this room is really amazing. For people like me, we don’t necessarily stop and appreciate what you do, day in day out,” she said. “I know that I drive by on the bridge and think, wow, that’s big. But there are so many complexities involved in what you’re doing, not just for our area, not just for Florida, but for the world.”

JAXPORT’s Alberto Cabrera is an industry veteran with more than three decades of experience, specializing in the Puerto Rico trade, automotive accounts and rail.

JAXPORT’s Rick Schiappacasse specializes in non-containerized cargo, known as breakbulk. He is also in charge of bulk cargo, refrigerated cargo and liquefied natural gas.

Seema Singh is an India-based logistics professional with decades of experience in the container trade. She flew to Jacksonville to participate in the 2025 State of the Port.