DeSantis Offers Solution to Supply Chain Crisis

Leah Barkoukis | October 19, 2021 2:05 PM

While the left's new solution to the supply chain crisis is to just get over it, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stepped forward Tuesday with a real proposal that will help alleviate the problems.

“We are facing major disruptions in the supply chain. You’ve seen the images of all these ships,” DeSantis said, noting that it’s resulted in “empty shelves” and “increased costs.”

“We in Florida have the ability to help alleviate these logjams and ameliorate these problems with the supply chain,” the Republican governor added. “It really is, I think, a model for the rest of the country.”

Ports in the state like JAXPORT will be offering incentives to businesses that want their products to move through the port.

“When you start talking about supply chain, inflation, that’s not something that’s going to impact a small segment. That hits very wide and very hard. Florida is here, we’ve got capacity and we also have incentive packages to make it worth your while to be able to bring your business through our ports,” DeSantis said.

Already, German-shipping line Hapag-Lloyd has temporarily rerouted its Atlantic Loop 3 service, which connects the U.S. and Europe, to JAXPORT, bringing in 1,000 more containers per week.

“During this time of unprecedented port disruption, Jacksonville’s efficiencies on both the landside and waterside continue to make us stand out in the industry,” said JAXPORT CEO Eric Green last week. “With our strategic location—and the efficiencies of our labor, terminal operators, facilities, and transportation network—there’s no question Jacksonville is an extremely attractive option for ocean carriers and shippers looking to take advantage of the ease of doing business Jacksonville offers.”

DeSantis also said in addition to the ports Florida has to offer, the state has "invested more than $200 million each year on freight and rail infrasturucture to create a more reliable intermodal network, and we're continuing to invest and we're adding to the investments in workforce education so that we can prepare individuals for meaningful in-demand careers like logistics and like getting commercial driver's licenses."