Press Releases

On Saturday, July 9, 2016, Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson joined Miami Mayor Carlos A. Giminez, PortMiami director Juan M. Kuryla and other port officials, and South Florida leaders to offer a hearty bienvenido to the MOL Majesty, the first neo-Panamax vessel to dock in Florida since the historic expansion of the Panama Canal.

The MOL Majesty’s arrival marks the start of a new “big ship era” that will have a significant impact on jobs and the economy in South Florida. PortMiami, which is the only eastern port south of Virginia that can accommodate the new mega-ships, is ready to do business. It has invested $1.3 billion in improvements, such as deepening the main harbor to 50 feet so that it can receive the new super-sized vessels, a new port tunnel, and a rail link to connect the port to the nation’s rail system.

On June 24, 2016, Rep. Wilson, whose congressional district includes PortMiami, traveled to Panama to witness the opening of the expanded Panama Canal. The capacity of the storied passageway has been nearly doubled, enabling bigger ships to carry up to 14,000 containers of goods from China and other parts of Asia to the East Coast.

“It was a great honor to witness this moment in history, in part because Miami has been preparing for it for years. I have worked diligently with a bipartisan group of local, state and federal leaders to secure federal approval and funding for the upgrades needed to ensure that PortMiami would be big-ship ready,” said Rep. Wilson.

In 2013, the Florida lawmaker founded and is co-chair of the bipartisan Florida Ports Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, which was created to harness members’ energy and influence on behalf of the state’s ports. The caucus’ hard work paid off. The reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act in Congress brought tens of thousands of new jobs to Florida and ensured that the state’s ports received its fair share of federal support.

Rep. Wilson also hosted a forum that enabled local business owners to meet with the relevant stakeholders and learn how they could benefit from and compete in post-Panamax Miami. Participants included U.S. Department of Commerce Undersecretary Francisco J. Sanchez, Ambassador H.E. Mario E. Jaramillo of Panama, and Rodolfo Sabonge, vice president of market research and analysis for the Panama Canal Authority.

“It is extraordinarily satisfying to see this project come full circle, from our work to ensure our port is able to accommodate the big ships, to witnessing the MOL Majesty’s departure from Panama and arrival in Miami. But when the celebrations have ended, we must immediately turn our attention to making sure the investment in PortMiami pays off in terms of opportunities for businesses in Florida to ship goods overseas and jobs, jobs, jobs,” said Rep. Wilson.