On February 14, state and local leadership gathered at PortMiami to announce a $43.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to PortMiami for construction of a perishables fumigation facility and other upgrades to the port. Those familiar with the flow of perishables know that currently most of this cargo bypasses South Florida on its way to the Northeast. A larger fumigation facility will allow PortMiami to offer more competitive pricing and help level the playing field with competing ports in the Northeast