Global shipping company moves operations to Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A new shipping company is setting up shop at JAXPORT and will start bringing in cargo from four locations in Asia beginning in May.

The company, Singapore-based Sea Lead, will reroute part of its operations from Long Beach, California, to JAXPORT.

Governor Ron DeSantis made the announcement Friday morning alongside Mayor Lenny Curry.

The Governor has been urging shipping companies since last year to reroute ships from the West Coast to Florida ports and touted Friday’s announcement as a sign those efforts are working.

“Sea Lead is now positioned to reach more than 98 million US consumers within one day without the hassle of unnecessary delays that we’ve seen in other seaports throughout the country,” said DeSantis.

The move will connect Jacksonville with four locations in Asia and are expected to bring consumer products like furniture and electronics into the port.

The decision to shift operations came in large part thanks to more than $200 million in enhancements currently underway at the port, including a soon-to-be-completed 47-foot deepening project.

“This announcement is proof of what we have known all along: JAXPORT is a major player on the United States East Coast,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green.

The shift will connect Jacksonville to four cities in Asia: Nansha, Ningbo, and Qingdao in China and Pusan, South Korea.
— JakeStofanReporting (@JakeStofan) March 4, 2022

DeSantis said the move will be a boom not only for Jacksonville’s economy, but also help to alleviate supply chain issues that are plaguing the nation and helping to driving inflation.

“It’s also for the larger economy because you’d much rather have them bringing goods to JAXPORT or Port Manatee than having them sit somewhere where they’re not able to go,” said DeSantis.

The Hakuna Matata will be the first Sea Lead ship to arrive at JAXPORT on May 7, with more ships arriving every two weeks thereafter.