Posted on June 10, 2026
BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Port Everglades generates approximately $48.3 billion in economic activity and supports nearly 300,000 jobs throughout Florida, according to a new study by maritime industry analyst Martin Associates. This year’s report captured energy related user impacts to match industry reporting standards, which resulted in significant increases in overall calculated economic activity.
Port Everglades is the state’s top seaport for receiving and distributing fuel such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, but the economic impacts had not been fully accounted for in past reports. The commissioned report for Fiscal Year 2025 (Oct. 1, 2024, to Sept. 30, 2025) captures the full impact of the distribution of energy (petroleum) products handled at the port, in addition to previously accounted for impacts from its cruise and cargo business lines.
“We are a significant provider of Florida’s fuel needs – supplying 12 counties and five international airports – and by capturing the entire related user impact of the port’s waterborne petroleum trade in this year’s report, we are able to fully identify the significance of our port in the energy sector,” said Joseph Morris, CEO and Port Director of Port Everglades. “Energy, cargo and cruise business activities represent the top three revenue generators for Port Everglades, an enterprise fund of Broward County government that is self-sustained by user fees rather than local tax dollars.”
In total, economic impact increased by 72% and supported 44% more jobs statewide over the previous report for Fiscal Year 2024. That includes approximately 13,139 jobs that are directly dependent on the port’s business activity, a more than 7% increase over the previous fiscal year.
Business activity for cruise, generated in part from a record 4.7 million cruise guests, increased 21.7% in Fiscal Year 2025 compared to Fiscal Year 2024, and direct local jobs climbed by 9.4%.
Economic activity for record cargo volumes of 1.167 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units, the industry’s standard container measurement), rose by 17.9% and supported a 5.3% increase in direct jobs.
The report assesses the port’s economic impact based on jobs, business revenue, employee earnings, and state and local taxes.
The business activity at Port Everglades contributes nearly $1.9 billion to state and local taxes, a 69% year-over-year increase, which are paid by parties dependent on the port’s activity.
About the Martin Associates Report
This report is based on Martin Associates’ in-house proprietary database and interviews conducted for the FY2025 study with 264 firms providing services to the cargo and vessels handled at Port Everglades’ cargo and cruise terminals. These 264 firms represent 98+ percent of the firms in the Port Everglades seaport community, underscoring the defensibility of the study.
Due to the increasing importance of the petroleum and energy sector nationwide, this FY2025 study incorporates the related user impacts of the port’s waterborne petroleum activity. It should be noted these related user impacts were not included in previous studies. While there are no refinery operations in Florida, Port Everglades is a critical link in the petroleum products supply chain that provides finished gasoline and diesel products throughout South Florida. Furthermore, Port Everglades is the sole source of pipeline-supplied jet fuel to Miami International Airport (MIA) and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). Other ports in Florida have also begun to quantify their regional economic contribution to the energy sector. Furthermore, this baseline model has been recalibrated and includes FY2025 tonnage, vessel calls, cruise passengers, Port Everglades Department employment, revenue, and expenditure statistics.
About Port Everglades
As one of Florida’s leading economic generators, Broward County’s Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Consistently ranked among the top three busiest cruise homeports in the world, Port Everglades is also one of the nation’s leading container ports and South Florida’s main seaport for receiving energy products including gasoline, jet fuel and alternative fuels. For more information on Port Everglades, visit PortEverglades.net or email PortEverglades@broward.org.
