Ports and terminals
Terminal and berth investments benefit Jaxport vehicle throughput
The US east coast port of Jacksonville has maintained a steady flow of vehicles in fiscal year 2025, including new and used passenger cars and light trucks, as well as rolling cargo and heavy equipment. New vehicles accounted for a total of 410,729 units with the top three carmakers by volume being Toyota, Mazda and Volkswagen.
US vehicle ports were affected by the imposition of US tariffs on vehicle imports and US Trade Administration port fees in 2025 but Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) said that the impact of the tariffs had only a modest impact on volumes.
A spokesperson for Jaxport said that other economic conditions such as financing, car pricing, fuel prices and incentives played their part on vehicle demand and port volumes in 2025. Added to which, one of Jaxport’s biggest vehicle processors, Southeast Toyota Distributors, was constructing new facilities through 2025, which also limited processing space at various points. The total number of new and used vehicles processed in calendar year 2025 was 475,753.
| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imports | 358,022 (-2.97%) | 368,998 (+12.9%) | 326,604 (-13.3%) |
| Exports | 148,215 (+5.7%) | 140,093 (+30.6%) | 107,233 (-37%) |
| Total | 506,237 (-0.56) | 509,091 (+17.3) | 433,837 (-23%) |
Figures provided by Jacksonville Port Authority
| New vehicles | Used vehicles | |
|---|---|---|
| Imports | 329,990 | 7,803 |
| Exports | 80,739 | 47,862 |
| Total | 420,729 | 55,665 |
Figures provided by Jacksonville Port Authority
Increased capacity for Toyota
Southeast Toyota Distributors completed its new 35,000+ sq. m vehicle processing facility at the port’s Blount Island Marine Terminal at the end of last year, housing seven buildings on 35.6 hectares of land. It includes rail connections and truck loading areas. At full operation it will have the capacity to process almost 4,000 vehicles a week, a 6% improvement on the previous facility.
Southeast Toyota Distributors said the facility is equipped to streamline operations and increase efficiency. It includes a conveniently located fuel island to accelerate the fuelling process, a three-lane car wash and a rail connection system alongside electric vehicle charging stations. These additions will allow Southeast Toyota to scale its operations as Toyota’s Beyond Zero electrification efforts continue to grow.
“The completion of this project is the culmination of the largest investment in our history,” said Eric Carter, group vice-president of operations at Southeast Toyota Distributors. “Now that construction is completed, we look forward to serving our dealer network even faster and better than before while continuing our long-term commitment to growth in Jacksonville.”
Enstructure expands at Tallyrand
Enstructure Auto Logistics began processing vehicles at a new facility in December last year at the Tallyrand Marine Terminal (following Southeast Toyota Distributors move to Blount Island Terminal). Those vehicles include Mazda imports from Mexico and Japan, as well as Toyota exports to Puerto Rico. The new facility has an annual capacity of 125,000 units and a spokesperson for Enstructure said it expects to process approximately 90,000 units from various OEMs in Jacksonville during 2026.
In January 2024, Enstructure signed a 30-year agreement with Jaxport to lease 32 hectares of waterfront property at Talleyrand Marine Terminal alongside its existing 14-hectare site. The combined 46-hectare terminal will provide services for bulk, breakbulk, heavy lift, project and general cargo handling, in addition to finished vehicle logistics. Enstructure owns Jacksonville-based Seaonus Stevedoring, which has been a tenant at the Tallyrand Marine Terminal for 27 years.
Jacksonville Port Authority (Jaxport) completed the expansion of Berth 22 in early 2025 to accommodate larger vehicle carriers (approximately 228 metres overall length). It means that, along with Berth 20, the port can now handle larger vessels at two locations.
“This added flexibility improves overall efficiency, increasing throughput capacity, and enabling faster turnaround for auto carriers,” said Jaxport’s spokesperson.
Furthermore, Jaxport began a project to build a new vehicle berth – Berth 21 – in 2025, which will be available for loading and unloading in early 2027. The new vehicle berth increases efficiencies for automotive customers and provides additional capacity to accommodate future growth, according to Jaxport.
