FLOWER IMPORTS AT MIA ARE BLOOMING AS THE AIRPORT’S TOP IMPORTED PRODUCT


Business has been blooming at Miami International Airport this Valentine’s Day flower season, with the cargo gateway projecting that more than 1,500 tons of cut flowers will arrive daily between January 1 and the end of February – a 6% increase over the airport’s record-breaking peak season in 2025. America’s largest gateway for flowers, which welcomes 91% of all imports by air to the U.S., expects to receive over 100,000 tons of cut flowers during this year’s Valentine’s Day rush.


Flowers remain MIA’s largest imported product by weight, accounting for nearly 400,000 tons annually, valued at nearly $2 billion. MIA benefits from having the nation’s most extensive air route network to Colombia and Ecuador, the two top flower-producing countries in the region, which account for approximately 86% of all flowers imported to the U.S. by air. Twelve cargo airlines provide freighter service from Colombia, and nine from Ecuador. Additionally, four airlines operate passenger flights carrying belly cargo from Colombia, while two passenger airlines operate flights carrying belly cargo from Ecuador.


The blooming Valentine’s flower season at MIA follows the airport’s sixth- straight year of record-breaking growth in cargo traffic. Cargo shipments at MIA, the busiest U.S. airport for international freight and the fifth busiest in the world, skyrocketed by 13.6% to nearly 3.5 million tons in 2025. International cargo grew by 14% to 2.9 million tons, while domestic cargo rose by 12% to 554,417 tons.


To accommodate the dynamic growth in flower imports and perishable cargo, PortMiami and MIA, in collaboration with the Mandich Group, Cold-Link Logistics, and Reveam, broke ground last year on a state-of-the-art phytosanitary treatment and cold chain processing facility. The future-ready perishables facility, scheduled to open in 2027, will be the first center of its kind in the state of Florida and the largest in the U.S.


The phytosanitary treatment portion of the facility will eradicate pests from refrigerated cargo containers and air cargo pallets, and the cold chain processing portion will provide cold storage, warehousing, distribution, and other services for perishable goods.


The new facility will provide advanced treatments and inspection capabilities for imported fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other plant-based and perishable items. Utilizing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified non-chemical treatments, the center is designed to expedite inspections while enhancing protection against invasive pests and diseases that threaten U.S. agriculture.


The facility is estimated to cost $141 million. Mandich Group will contribute $98.5 million and PortMiami will provide $9 million towards the project. Additionally, PortMiami received a $33.5 million U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration Federal Port Infrastructure Development Program Grant for the project.


Advertorial


www.iflyMIA.com


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