JAXPORT CEO Eric Green addresses more than 600 people during the 2026 State of the Port on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. | JAXPORT
Published on February 27, 2026 at 11:00 am
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Executives at Florida’s largest container port said they do not expect to see fluctuations in business after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that outlawed the reciprocal tariffs President Donald Trump implemented in 2025.
That confidence was expressed during JAXPORT’s State of the Port ceremony on Thursday.
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JAXPORT processed 1.4 million 20-foot cargo containers during its 2025 fiscal year. The rate remained flat with its 2024 processing.
JAXPORT CEO Eric Green says geopolitics is not something anyone in Jacksonville can control. Diversifying its types of business — container traffic, auto imports, Puerto Rican traffic and cruises — is part of a two-pronged approach. The other is adding shipping routes.
New business from familiar locations
Imports from India and Malaysia have played a larger role in JAXPORT’s processing over the last three fiscal years. In 2023, Jacksonville processed 5,881 containers from India and 3,444 from Malaysia. In 2025, Indian imports spiked to 12,387 containers. Meanwhile, imports from Malaysia increased 151% to 8,665 containers.
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During the same period, JAXPORT has processed fewer imports from China. In 2023, the port processed 54,493 TEUs, short for Twenty-foot Equivalent Units. Last fiscal year, the port processed 41,060 containers from China.
“We make sure that we take the foundation, which is creating jobs, the ease of doing business and continuing to look at the pattern of our tenants and what their needs are,” Green told Jacksonville Today. “We take those three things and we build off that.
“It doesn’t matter what the geopolitical climate is because we have such diversification of cargo. We are always flexing and being able to continue to grow and create jobs.”
How Supreme Court tariff ruling affects Jax
The State of the Port came six days after the Supreme Court ruled “the President enjoys no inherent authority to impose tariffs during peacetime.” That is a Congressional authority.
The court’s ruling stated President Donald Trump could not implement the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to implement across-the-board tariffs in the way he did in 2025.
“Congress’s pattern of usage is plain: When Congress grants the power to impose tariffs, it does so clearly and with careful constraints.”
Green noted that the port cannot control national trade policy.
Campbell University Associate Professor Sal Mercogliano said disruptions within shipping and logistics have been common over the past five years. The companies that best learned the lessons from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing supply chain shortage were best placed to navigate 2025.
JAXPORT imported 685,685 metric tons from Canada in its 2025 fiscal year. Spain (571,266), Brazil (560,463) and the Bahamas (384,553) were also top origins for imports.
Puerto Rico may be a United States territory, but it’s classified as an independent nation in shipping circles. JAXPORT imported 649,658 metric tons from Puerto Rico in its 2025 fiscal year.
According to the Tax Policy Center, Brazil has a 50% tariff rate; Canada is at 35%; Mexico’s tariff rate is 25%; and Vietnam has a 20% tariff rate. Meanwhile, Malaysia has a 19% tariff rate and India’s is at 18%.
Mercogliano quipped that most people in Jacksonville may not be well-versed in the actions of the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea; but, it does affect global shipping lanes.
The Iranian-backed group started attacking maritime vessels in the Red Sea in late 2023, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Israel’s ceasefire agreement with Gaza last year led to the Houthis standing down.
Amid the Red Sea uncertainty, shippers have rerouted down the coast of Africa.
“That disruption has caused massive changes,” Mercogliano said. “What we’ve seen is an increase in freight rates — where the frate rates were coming down in 2023 — we see that spike back up in 2024. We see a semi-return to the area. (It’s) very low-key right now. Most of the ocean shippers are going around Africa. Whenever we see that return, get ready for three wild months. Because if they return, that’s going to be as bad as the disruption going now.”
Most of JAXPORT’s traffic flowed through the Panama Canal, not the Suez Canal. However, in recent years, its tenants have started a shipping lane that includes stops in Senegal, Togo, Ghana and Nigeria
“Despite a dynamic global trade environment, JAXPORT is well-positioned,” Green said in prepared remarks. “Florida’s growth is a key driver to our future.”
