South East Shipping News

International Trade Swells at Florida’s Seaports; Trading at a Deficit with China

By: Jim Turner | Posted: May 30, 2012 3:55 AM

Jaxport, Port of Miami tunnel construction project and Port of Panama CityHide

Florida’s effort to increase international trade spawned an 18.3 percent growth in the value of traffic through its seaports last year, according to the Florida Ports Council.

The overall goods traveling through Florida’s ports in 2011 totaled $149 billion, of which more than half -- $82.7 billion -- were exports. The majority of the trade was going to or coming from South America (37.4 percent), Asia and the Middle East (18.8 percent), Europe (15.7 percent), Central America (12.7 percent) and the Caribbean (9.5 percent), the council reported in its annual five-year outlook released on Friday.

"We're just thrilled we're talking growth in the industry, considering the global economic downturn," said Doug Wheeler, Ports Council president.

But he later added, "There are still a lot of empty containers leaving Florida ports. We can still do a lot better at getting these containers filled up leaving Florida's ports than we're doing now."

Getting more Florida exports would require expanding Florida's manufacturing base, as well as completing a number of prioritized projects -- such as the Port Miami tunnel -- to shorten the time cargo can move from shipping lanes to railroad tracks and interstate highways.

See port by port import-exports totals here.

Still, the overall totals were the most since 2008, which continue to outpace the trade shipped via air -- $63.8 billion in value in 2011.

The hook for bulking up the state's ports in advance of the anticipated growth in trade has been the Panama Canal expansion, to be completed in 2015. However, a big reason for the recent growth has been the rise in free-trade agreements with Central and South American countries, some of which have been natural maritime trading partners with Florida. 

See Florida's top trading partners here.

The report notes that since the U.S. signed such a pact with Chili in 2004, Florida’s annual trade with the South American country has grown from $1.8 billion to $6.9 billion.

Similarly, trade with Peru has grown from $1 billion in 2007, when a free-trade agreement was signed, to $3.2 billion last year.

However, while the state continues to pump more goods to its trading partners to the south, the state still trades at a deficit with Asian nations, part of the reason Enterprise Florida is working on plans for a business development mission to Japan, Korea or other Asian nations in 2013.

For every $8 worth of imports from China, the state returns $1 in goods sold to the Asian nation.

The West Coast of the United States has been the beneficiary of trade with China, but that is something that could change with the canal expansion.

"The Panama Canal is at least changing the dynamics of that conversation," Wheeler said. 

"We by no means have touted the Panama Canal as the Meccas of all trade routes and this will be the end-all for Florida ports," Wheeler added. "But certainly there will be new opportunities as shippers and freighters go 'Huh, there is a cost savings in going through the canal, coming out on the East Coast and throwing the cargo onto a truck or a train for a shorter haul to the heart of the country.'"

The report does highlight efforts by the council to combat competition from ports in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia as more foreign markets open and expand.

“Opportunities missed will be opportunities lost to Florida’s competitors,” the report states

 

 

 

 

 

 

See nation's top ports list here.

To meet the expected increase in trade, the 15 individual seaports in Florida -- both cruise and cargo -- have projected $2.7 billion in capital improvement needs over the next five years.  

Channel and harbor deepening, along with new and rehabbed cargo terminals, are among the primary needs. The majority of the work is projected at Port Miami, Port Everglades and JaxPort.

See priority projects here.

The Florida Ports Council forecasts the projects would create 12,000 construction jobs and 13,000 full-time jobs.

To help fund a few of the projects, legislators in the 2012 regular session increased the nondesignated port funding from $117 million in the current year to $135 million for the next fiscal year, and created a $35 million port investment initiative.

See the Sunshine State News series "The Ports of Florida" here.



Reach Jim Turner at jturner@sunshinestatenews.com or at (772) 215-9889.

Attachments: 

Port by Port Import-Exports

Florida's Top Trading Partners

Nation's Top Ports

Priority Projects

 

Condition ZULU closes Jaxport and Port of Fernandina

 

 

As of 12:00 p.m. today, May 27, 2012 the Captain of the Port (COTP) has set Hurricane Condition
ZULU for the ports of Jacksonville and Fernandina.  The ports are closed to all inbound and outbound traffic.  Please see MSIB 43-12  for details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Previously condition X ray was set at which point waterfront facilities should be removing potential flying debris, hazardous materials and oil pollution hazards from dockside areas. Secure all hazmat and potential sources of pollution due to possible heavy rain run-off.

Vessels more than 500 gross tons should make preparations to leave the port at this time or should have requested permission from the COTP to remain in port. Vessels unable to depart the port must contact the COTP and submit a safe mooring plan in writing when requesting and prior to receiving permission to remain in port. Proof of facility owner/operator approval will be required.

Inbound vessels that will be unable to depart the port if Port Condition YANKEE is set, are advised to seek an alternate destination.

Pleasure craft are advised to seek safe harbor. Drawbridges may not be operating as early as eight hours prior to the anticipated arrival of sustained gale force winds (39 mph) or when an evacuation is in progress.

APM/Maersk moves to win the Panama Canal Sweepstakes with take-over of Suez and Super Post-Panamx ready -55 foot deep Terminals In Billion Dollar Offer to State of Virginia

 

APM Terminals Portsmouth Virginia, the largest privately owned terminal in North America. Image: APM Terminals

 

Beat This Miami, Charleston, Savannah!

• At 50-feet, the deepest shipping channels on the U.S. East Coast; fully prepared to accommodate the 10,000+ TEU vessels.
• More than 30 international steamship lines service the Port today, making Virginia a true maritime hub.
• Norfolk Southern and CSX offer on-dock, double-stack intermodal service to key inland markets in the Midwest, Ohio Valley and the Southeast.
• A leader in quality and environment - The Port of Virginia maintains ISO 9001 and 14001 certification.

 COPENHAGEN — The port-operating arm of Danish industrial conglomerate A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S (MAERSK-B.KO), APM Terminals, said Thursday it has made an offer to the state of Virginia to operate the cargo traffic facilities at the U.S. Port of Virginia.

In return for the long-term concession, APM Terminals offers to transfer ownership of its facility in the Portsmouth Marine Terminal at the port to the Virginia administration, in a strategic partnership deal that the company estimates to have a total value to the state of between $3 billion and $4 billion.

The proposal includes operation of freight facilities at the Port of Virginia, which is comprised by four marine terminals and adjacent inland services, all centered around the ice-free, natural harbor of Hampton Roads.

“Our proposal provides for the lowest cost, long-term solution for future growth at this time of a stabilizing economy and the eventual expansion of global commerce,” said APM Terminals Americas Region President Eric Sisco.

Included in the value estimate are initial payments, fixed concession payments, revenue sharing, capital investments and tax benefits, transferring market risk from the Commonwealth to the private sector, APM Terminals said.

The offer has been submitted to Virginia’s Office of Transportation Public-Private Partnerships and will undergo a detailed review in the coming months, APM Terminals said.

 

Shipowners call proposed July 1, 2012

Panama Canal toll hikes "simply unacceptable"

 

Four days after the deadline set by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP), The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has sent a strongly worded letter describing plans to increase tolls by up to 15 percent as "simply unacceptable."

 

Instead the ICS suggested that the ACP shelve the planned July 1 increase and all previously scheduled increases. It said that ocean cargo carriers need at least six months notice to alter their schedules to avoid a more costly canal crossing and therefore the ACp should agree to the ICS request.

 

The International Chamber of Shipping is the principal international trade association for shipowners, with member national associations from 36 countries representing all sectors and trades and over 80 percent of the world merchant fleet.

 

The ACP published plans to increase its tolls last month, despite assuring industry clients in January there would only be one small adjustment to tolls before completion of the expansion project in 2014. Not long thereafter the ACP admitted that labor strife, poor engineering and substandard concrete mixing would likely extend the opening of the new section of the canal into 2015.

But the ACP never altered its plans to increase tolls on July 1, 2012 if agreed at a public hearing at the end of this month.

 

ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe, said there was no pressing need for the increases given that "canal revenues are currently very healthy."

 

Mr. Hinchliffe pointed out that while the Panama Canal is an important national asset to Panama, it also remains an essential part of international public infrastructure crucial to the smooth operation of the global supply chain and should "take this important public role into account when setting tolls."

 

"While the ACP proposal analyzes the impact of the toll rises on the competitiveness of commodity trades, no account is taken of the impact on shipping companies themselves ... many of whom are still forced to run ships at a loss in order to remain in the market," he said.

 

"We therefore request that the ACP rescind the current plans for increases in the next two years and concentrate on developing a toll structure that can be to the benefit of all parties to be introduced in late 2014."

 

The shipowners’ rebuttal came a day after the ACP Board of Directors approved a proposal to modify the Panama Canal pricing structure "to align Canal toll charges with the value the route provides."

 

 

As part of the tolls adjustment process, the ACP had established a consultation period from April 20 - May 21, 2012, during which the ACP agreed to receive formal written comments, opinions and written requests from interested parties to participate in the public hearing. The public hearing was held in Panama City, Panama, in the ACP's "Ascanio Arosemena" auditorium on May 23, 2012.

 

The ICS doggedly delayed its comments until after the event.

 

The proposal also increased the number of segments from eight to eleven by Panama Canal vessel type. It also divided the tanker segment into three distinct segments, established a new segment for container/breakbulk, and incorporated the roll-on/roll-off vessels into the vehicle carrier segment.

 

Once approved by all parties involved, the Panama Canal market segmentation scheme will include the following segments: full container, reefer, dry bulk, passenger, vehicle carrier and ro-ro, tanker, chemical tanker, LPG, general cargo and others.

 

Price Proposal

 

Effective July 1, 2012, the ACP proposes to increase the tolls for the following segments: general cargo, container/break bulk (new segment), dry bulk, tanker (redefined segment), chemical tanker (new segment), LPG (new segment), vehicle carrier and ro-ro (merged segment), and the segment known as others. The remaining segments will not be adjusted at this time. Additionally, there will be changes to tolls applicable to small vessels based on vessel length, to incorporate adjustments not previously considered.

 

"This proposal continues to align the Panama Canal tolls to the value, benefit and quality the route provides, and maintains the competitiveness of the Panama Canal", stated Alberto Alemán Zubieta, ACP Administrator/CEO.

 

 

  

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Port Status Information   JACKSONVILLE Port Status Information  Port Status Comments Last Changed PORT CANAVERAL OPEN Set Port Condition IV 05/26/2012 PORT OF FERNANDINA OPEN Set Port Condition X-RAY 05/26/2012 PORT OF JACKSONVILLE OPEN Set Port Condition X-RAY 05/26/2012 CHARLESTON Port Status Information  Port Status Comments Last Changed BEAUFORT OPEN   08/27/2011 CHARLESTON OPEN   08/27/2011 GEORGETOWN OPEN   08/27/2011 HILTON HEAD OPEN   08/27/2011

Privacy  | Plug-ins	Today is	Saturday, May 26, 2012

2012 Hurricane Season to be "normal" except for this storm off Canaveral

 UPDATE

TROPICAL WEATHER DISCUSSION

NWS NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL

805 AM EDT SAT MAY 26 2012 

 SUBTROPICAL STORM BERYL

 

FORMED IN THE SOUTHWESTERN ATLANTIC

OCEAN AT 26/0300 UTC. THE CENTER OF SUBTROPICAL STORM BERYL

AT 26/1200 UTC IS NEAR 32.0N 76.0W...ABOUT 175 MILES/280 KM SE

OF CAPE FEAR NORTH CAROLINA...AND 240 MILES/385 KM ESE OF

CHARLESTON SOUTH CAROLINA.

 

BERYL IS MOVING WEST-SOUTHWESTWARD 4

KNOTS. THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 1001 MB. THE

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS ARE 40 KNOTS WITH GUSTS TO 50

KNOTS.

 

 ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE CONVECTIVE PRECIPITATION COVERS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN FROM 30N TO 34N BETWEEN 72W AND 80W. RAINSHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN 60 TO 90 NM ON EITHER SIDE OF 22N78W AT THE CUBA COAST...TO 26N74W BEYOND 32N70W. A 24-HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL

FOR FREEPORT IN THE BAHAMAS...ENDING AT 25/1200 UTC...IS 9.70

INCHES

 

...TROPICAL WAVES...

 

AN ATLANTIC OCEAN TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 13N46W 7N48W 2N49W.

WIDELY SCATTERED MODERATE TO ISOLATED STRONG CONVECTIVE

PRECIPITATION IS FROM 7N TO 10N BETWEEN 40W AND 50W...AND

TO THE SOUTH OF 7N BETWEEN 50W AND 56W.

 

A CARIBBEAN SEA TROPICAL WAVE IS ALONG 16N66W...TO CURACAO...

TO 10N70W IN NORTHWESTERN VENEZUELA. NUMEROUS STRONG CONVECTIVE

PRECIPITATION IS ON TOP OF LAKE MARACAIBO IN NORTHWESTERN

VENEZUELA...AND JUST TO THE EAST OF THE LAKE WITHIN A 30 NM

RADIUS OF 9N69W. RAINSHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA

TO THE SOUTH OF 17N BETWEEN 60W AND 72W.

 

 

MIAMI, Florida -- NOAA's National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida has issued a Special Tropical Weather Outlook due to a non-tropical low pressure system that has become better defined in the Atlantic off the coast of South Florida.

 

The notice, which does not require implementation of hurricane preparations, followed within ours of the announcement by the Hurricane Center that the rest of the season ought to be “Normal.”

 

 

Despite the extraordinary beginning, including 10 inches of flood in rain in a few hours in Doral, west of Miami, the experts say conditions in the atmosphere and the ocean favor a near-normal hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin this season.

 

For the entire six-month season, which begins June 1, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center says there’s a 70 percent chance of nine to 15 named storms (with top winds of 39 mph or higher), of which four to eight will strengthen to a hurricane (with top winds of 74 mph or higher) and of those one to three will become major hurricanes (with top winds of 111 mph or higher, ranking Category 3, 4 or 5). Based on the period 1981-2010, an average season produces 12 named storms with six hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

 

NOAA’s outlook predicts a less active season compared to recent years,” said NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D. “But regardless of the outlook, it’s vital for anyone living or vacationing in hurricane-prone locations to be prepared. We have a stark reminder this year with the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew.” Andrew, the Category 5 hurricane that devastated South Florida on August 24, 1992, was the first storm in a late-starting season that produced only six named storms.

 

"NOAA's improvement in monitoring and predicting hurricanes has been remarkable over the decades since Andrew, in large part because of our sustained commitment to research and better technology. But more work remains to unlock the secrets of hurricanes, especially in the area of rapid intensification and weakening of storms,” said Lubchenco. “We're stepping up to meet this challenge through our Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project, which has already demonstrated exciting early progress toward improving storm intensity forecasts."

 

In fact, new NOAA technology predicted the development of the tropical system that blossomed off North Florida last week, almost a full week in advance, as reported here exclusively at South East Shipping News.

 

That technology suggested half dozen different tracks for a tropical system now emerging over Florida, and suggests a 70% Chance of a Memorial Day Weekend Tropical Storm for Central Florida.

NOAA says that there is some potential for additional development into a tropical or subtropical cyclone late Saturday or early Sunday during the 2012 Memorial Day Weekend as the system moves northeastward into the southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

The low will produce high seas off the southeastern Florida Atlantic coast which is bad news for boaters where Memorial Day weekend is traditionally a busy day for recreational boating and fishing.

 

The low is approximately 200 miles south-southeast of Port Canaveral, Florida.  Other busy cruise ports along South Florida such as the Port of Palm Beach, Port of Miami, and Port Everglades near Fort Lauderdale, Florida may also have local seas affected by this low pressure system.  Cruise passengers should check often with their particular cruise line for local weather updates affecting cruise itineraries.

 

As of 12:55 p.m. today, the low has a medium chance (40%) of becoming a subtropical or tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.  This is an increase from the 20% chance given by NOAA earlier this morning.

 

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours:

 

 

 

 

No threat from Alberto except Atlantic shipping and Volvo racers. Click on link for full report

 

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/media/jax/vBriefing/Tropical_Web_Briefing_052110_7h/index.htm

. House and Senate appropriators reject National Preparedness Grant Program proposal

By David Perera

Comment | Forward | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

 

An Obama administration proposal to consolidate 16 state and local preparedness grant programs into one effort known as the National Preparedness Grant Program faces resistance from House and Senate appropriators. The House Appropriations Committee voted May 16 to reject the NPGP proposal, stating in a report (.pdf) accompanying its markup of the Homeland Security Department spending bill for the coming fiscal year that DHS first requires an implementing authorization law before it can move to consolidate grants. House lawmakers have been skeptical from the start of the NPGP proposal, while administration officials have argued that grant consolidation would result in better coordination of preparedness efforts. Local officials, too have criticized the consolidation proposal. The Senate Appropriations subcommittee on homeland security marked up May 15 its version of the fiscal 2013 DHS spending bill, also rejecting the consolidation proposal. In a statement, the Senate subcommittee said the president's February budget request failed to deliver "specific detail regarding how funds would be distributed" and also directed FEMA to attain an authorization statute. For more:

 

Felix Pereira shared a slideshow
presentation with SIOR
event attendees.

Industrial realtors convention gets to hear the inside scoop of PortMiami's ambitious plan from top port planner

 

MIAMI-In reuniting its port system with the downtown, the city of Miami is taking several steps to revitalize its commercial real estate assets on a regional and international level.  With a slew of investment pouring in from federal, state and private sources toward local infrastructure, industrial sites and office space, speakers at SIOR’s 2012 Spring World Conference said the city is working to transform its underutilized south core and integrate the port into a world-class destination tied to the maritime industry.

In greeting the crowd at the Loews South Beach Hotel, SIOR President Geoff Kreusser said while regulatory uncertainty is "rampant" in Washington and on Wall Street, Miami-Dade County is showing strong inland growth in manufacturing and industrial—and it is continuing on the upswing.

The Port of Miami, a governmental agency that oversees industrial and economic development for county, has introduced its 20-year master plan for the expansion of the city’s 520 acre port, which will involve the deepening of channels to allow post-Panamax ships to pass through, as well as plans to create a new intermodal transportation center and a mega cruise terminal by the year 2035.

“We have pretty much diversified our portfolio and our operations,” said Felix Pereira, chief of planning at Port Miami, noting that the projected passenger counts for 2035 will be hitting approximately six million riders, but the development plan will be limited to the existing port area due to environmental reasons. “The port itself is tight,” he said.

But just recently, Pereira said the county and three local stakeholders reached an agreement to move forward with the port’s deep dredge project, which would allow the Port to proceed with the deepening of its channel to -50 feet to accommodate larger container cargo vessels. It now awaits approval by the Board of County Commissioners.

Pereira said the timing of the announcement comes at a time when the port’s cruise operations are expanding. “We are known internationally for being the cruise capital of the world,” he said, explaining that Miami is the 11th largest cargo container port in the world (just under 900,000 TEUs), and currently has about 4.1 million passengers. Companies like Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity all have a presence here, and after the dredging is complete, bigger vessels can serve the area. “There will be a whole litany of brand new ships coming in as well,” he said.

The Port of Miami is exploring the possibility of “mega cruise terminal” that can handle four oasis class ships at a given time with 6,000 passengers each. “We could possibly handle 24,000 passengers simultaneously,” Pereira estimated.

The state is also planning to develop a new intermodal facility on Port lands, which will consolidate car rental facilities, taxis and buses into one building. The transit hub will also have an elevated train that will provide linkages back to the downtown.  

Pereira said the transit plan is also being pushed due to congestion in the city’s central business district. “We have 100,000 people going downtown, so once you’re filled and having a downtown that’s revitalized, you are asking for more traffic,” he said. In an effort to alleviate that, the Florida Department of Transportation is planning a tunnel that would connect the port to the interstate system. “ It is basically two tubes going from the highway under the north channel coming up into the center portion of the island and back,” he said, noting that the tunnel boring machine is one-third of the way through to the island. It is expected to reduce downtown traffic by 60% to 70%.

The Port is also working out a plan for the city’s southwest corner, also known as a the World Trade Center. But this isn’t the same one in Lower Manhattan. “This is a 36-acre site that is currently underutilized,” Pereira said, noting that a mix of uses, including apartments, retail and office, are in the works. “We are trying to reintegrate better into the city,” he adds.

The Port, which generates 176,000 direct and indirect jobs and $18 billion to the local economy, estimates that the dredging will be complete by 2014.

 For live SIOR coverage all day Friday, follow @GlobeStLIVE on Twitter.

Pacer, CSX Extend Partnership Past 2014

Mark Szakonyi, Associate Editor | May 9, 2012 1:02PM GMT

The Journal of Commerce Online - News Story

• Class I Railroads
|
• Intermodal
|
• United States

Helps intermodal middleman tap growing cargo shift from road to rails

Pacer International and CSX Transportation have extended their partnership through a new multiyear agreement, giving the intermodal middleman more opportunity to tap the Eastern shift of cargo from the road to the rails.

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based railroad will remain the primary carrier for more than 18,000 Pacer containers for several years after 2014, which was when the initial contract was set to expire. Pacer expects the agreement to increase its “volumes on CSX, particularly east-to-east shipments.”

The new agreement will likely last three to five years, according to a BB&T Capital Markets research note. The original agreement was struck in 2009, and the newest pact reflects the “strong relationship” Pacer has with CSX.

BB&T analysts said the new rates under the recently announced agreement have been in place for several months, driving “much of the 33 percent growth” Pacer saw in the Eastern market last quarter. The new contract also expands Pacer’s reach to more lanes in the Eastern market, according to BB&T.

“The existing CSX contracts have been primarily trans-continental business, with a much smaller percentage of business coming from the East, as we believe the prior rate structure in the East was not competitive enough to provide [Pacer] with the ability for significant business wins, thereby hindering growth,” according to the BB&T note.

Contact Mark Szakonyi at mszakonyi@joc.com. Follow him on Twitter @szakonyi_joc.

South Florida exports boom, creating jobs

 

 

May 05, 2012|By Doreen Hemlock, SunSentinel

 With the U.S. economy recovering slowly, more South Florida companies are turning to sales overseas, fueling record exports and adding jobs.

 South Florida is the only U.S. area whose ports consistently ship more to foreign ports than they bring in. Port Everglades now ranks as Florida's top seaport for exports, U.S. commerce statistics show.

 Associated Aircraft Manufacturing and Sales Inc. of Fort Lauderdale illustrates the export boom. It makes and sells parts for aircraft, including electronic systems for military planes.

Since 2010, the company has grown from 52 to 85 employees and from roughly $25 million to $40 million in yearly revenue, thanks to sales mainly to the Middle East and Asia, Chief Executive Frank Lannon said.

"To export, you have to make the investment to study foreign markets, learn what buyers want and adapt products to meet those needs", Lannon said. "You can't sit and wait for someone to come to you. You have to go out and sell yourself."

 Custom Biologicals of Deerfield Beach grew from eight to 11 employees last year, thanks to sales mainly in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Ecuador. One top-seller: bacteria that help plants grow bigger and faster. The product has been used by growers who set world records for giant pumpkins in the last two years, each pumpkin weighing more than 1810 pounds, said the company's executive vice president, Chuck Baugh. 

Exports now account for roughly 70 percent of Custom Biologicals' sales, up from 53 percent in 2010. Revenue set a record last year and is rising this year too, likely requiring more hiring, Baugh said.

 A weaker U.S. dollar has stoked overseas sales, making U.S. goods cheaper in other countries, exporters said.

 More competitive prices help explain why South Florida seaports and airports shipped a record $69.2 billion in goods to foreign ports last year, or $25.7 billion more than they brought in. South Florida exports jumped 18 percent for the year, faster than the 16 percent gains nationwide, according to Coral Gables-based publisher WorldCity.

 Through February, South Florida exports kept climbing: up 11 percent from a year earlier, slightly faster than the U.S. average, WorldCity said. Among top shipments out: high-tech equipment, including cellphones and computers; heavy equipment for construction; medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Many items are made elsewhere and transit South Florida for sale in Latin America, WorldCity President Ken Roberts said.

 

The Obama administration in 2010 set a goal to double U.S. exports in five years, creating up to 2 million new jobs. Numerous programs are now available to help small- and mid-size companies boost sales overseas.

 

For South Florida businesses looking to increase exports, WorldCity's Roberts and other experts advise:

 

Do your homework. Research specific markets. Study where competitors sell overseas.

 

Talk with people active overseas. Florida's bi-national chambers of commerce, such as the Brazilian-American Chamber, can help.

 

Make a commitment to export. Invest time, money and staff.

 

Set up financing. To get paid, consider requiring payment in advance, or work with lenders to help buyers finance purchases.