Jaxport completes first stage of $60m berth expansion at Blount Island vehicle terminal as Toyota prepares to expand operations

Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) has completed the expansion of Berth 22 at its Blount Island Marine Terminal, the first of two such projects, with a combined investment of $60m. Berth 22 is now ready to accommodate more vessel calls and enable larger car carriers of 228-metre length to dock at the US port, said a spokesperson for the port authority. Construction is currently underway on the second berth (Berth 21) at Blount Island and expected to be complete in early 2027.

“The increased capability allows us to maintain open berth availability for ro-ro ships as container and vehicle volumes grow, and will increase the terminal’s throughput over time, particularly when Southeast Toyota’s new auto processing facility is complete later this year,” said the spokesperson.

Toyota continues to be the port’s biggest customer out of its Southeast Toyota Distributors terminal accounting for 27.8% of throughput in fiscal year 2024. That operation is now moving to Blount Island from the Talleyrand Marine Terminal once work is complete on a 31,600 sq.m vehicle processing centre currently under construction and due for completion in summer 2025. The $145m project is funded by a combination of Southeast Toyota Distributors a $19.78m grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to assist with terminal development. The work incorporates additional on-site rail connections and truck loading areas. Upon completion, the facility will enable Southeast Toyota to process more vehicles through Jaxport.

The latest berth expansion is funded 75% by the Florida Department of Transportation and 25% investment by Jaxport.

Increasing volumes 
In fiscal year 2024 Jaxport handled just over 509,000 finished vehicles, a +17.3% increase on the previous year. As noted, Toyota remains Jaxport’s biggest customer by volume but Mazda, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen all saw year-on-year increases in FY2024.

Amports is also a terminal operator at Jaxport, processing vehicles through its terminals at Blount Island for 14 vehicle manufacturers. A spokesperson for the company acknowledged that additional berth capacity created opportunities for growth and said the company is exploring ways to expand its footprint and optimise operations to accommodate increasing volumes at Jaxport.

Tariff fees 
On the impact on trade of the current tariffs and fees being imposed by the US government Amports’ spokesperson said that any significant cost or volume fluctuations affected its business and the broader supply chain. “Global trade is vital to port operations and we are closely monitoring the situation,” said the spokesperson.

Jaxport said it was also monitoring the tariff discussions and remained in close contact with its terminal operators. “It is still too early to assess any impact at this time [but] Jaxport is well-positioned, due in large part to the strength of our auto processors, as well as our location at the northern gateway of Florida, the third largest vehicle market in the country,” said the spokesperson for the port authority.

With specific reference to the high service fees on China-related shipping proposed by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Amports’ spokesperson said: “Additional costs, such as port service fees and tariffs, ultimately impact cargo owners (OEMs) and may be passed on to consumers. If certain vessels are restricted from calling US ports, it could lead to capacity constraints and potential cost increases across the supply chain.”