PortMiami and Africa Poised for Growth – Center for International Trade Development – CITD

BUILDING TRANSATLANTIC PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH SISTER SEAPORT AGREEMENTS

BY PORTMIAMI

Recognized as the Cruise Capital of the World and Global Gateway of the Americas, PortMiami is one of Miami-Dade County’s most important economic engines contributing $61 billion annually to the local economy and supporting more than 340,078 jobs in South Florida. As PortMiami’s cargo and cruise business continues to grow, so does its reach across the globe, including Africa.

For more than three decades, Miami-Dade County has engaged with the African continent through trade missions, conferences, educational and cultural exchange programs, and PortMiami’s International Sister Seaports Program. In 1988, the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution establishing the Sister Seaports Program. Sister Seaport agreements help ports collaborate on the exchange of information and ideas, with the aim of increasing cargo and cruise trade between ports.

Currently, PortMiami has 18 International Sister Seaport Agreements with ports on the African continent namely: Djibouti – Port of Djibouti, Guinea – Port de Conakry, Côte d’Ivoire – Port Autonome d’Abidjan, Ghana – Ghana Ports and Harbors, Kenya – Malindi Port and Port of Mombasa, Morocco – Port of Casablanca and Port of Tanger Med, Nigeria – Port of Kirikiri and Nigerian Ports Authority (Apapa, Lagos), Sénégal – Port Autonome de Dakar, South Africa – Port of Cape Town, Port of Durban, Port of East London, Port of Mossel Bay, Port of Port Elizabeth, Port of Richards Bay, and Port of Saldanha.

There are many benefits to signing an International Sister Seaport Agreement with PortMiami including the commitment to a free and uninhibited exchange of information pertaining to the cargo and cruise industries in each port; historical statistical information on each port; planned seaport infrastructure developments; and general marketing research aimed at increasing cargo and cruise traffic between ports. The agreements can also assist in creating the technical and financial circumstances necessary to promote increased traffic and port activities via joint ventures and other business arrangements as well as forming groups that exchange security information with the aim of strengthening the safety of ports worldwide. Lastly, they can aid in the implementation of educational programs that will help foster goodwill between ports.

During the Miami-Dade County business mission to Africa in August 2023 led by The Honorable Kionne McGhee, Miami-Dade County Commissioner District 9, and The Honorable Marleine Bastien, Miami-Dade County Commissioner District 2, the International Sister Seaport Agreement between PortMiami and the Port Autonome de Dakar was renewed. The ports agreed to create a working group that will jointly facilitate the promotion of trade and shipping routes, share best practices for cruise development, and collaborate on environmental sustainability projects.

Furthermore, representatives from PortMiami also visited Port of Freetown, Sierra Leone to explore new partnership opportunities which include Foreign Trade Zone, partnerships with shipping lines that call on both ports, fisheries, and infrastructure.

“Africa is home to one of the world’s youngest and fastest-growing populations, burgeoning cities, and bold innovations,” says Hydi Webb, Director and CEO, PortMiami. “The continent presents a myriad of opportunities for partnerships, trade, and growth.”