Jaxport Sets Cargo Record

The Jacksonville Port Authority said it recorded its busiest cargo-handling year in 2006 — its sixth consecutive year of cargo growth — with a 3% increase over 2005.

The port, also known as Jaxport, handled more than 8.6 million tons in 2006, marking its third straight year of record cargo tonnage, despite a 2% drop in containerized cargoes to 4 million tons and an 8% drop in bulk cargoes to 2.2 million tons.

The nation’s second-busiest vehicle-handling port and 13th-busiest container port experienced gains in two of its four cargo types in 2006, Jaxport said.

Passenger cars, trucks and heavy equipment grew by 12% to 609,967 units, and break-bulk cargos — including lumber, paper, steel, poultry and other non-computerized commodities — jumped 50% to 1.2 million tons.