Valentine’s Day flowers highlight floral boom at PortMiami

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WTDC Newsletter – February 16, 2021

  • President’s corner – WTDC Internship Program & the Gazitua family
  • Valentine’s Day flowers highlight the floral boom at PortMiami
  • PortMiami staying afloat despite cruise line halt
  • Brexit impact on spirits industry
  • JetBlue begins daily flights to and from MIA
  • Join us March 30 for the virtual Live Like Bella Superhero 5k

President’s Corner  
Last week I shared how impressed we are with WTDC’s Interns this spring. I invited my mother, father, and brother to join us last Friday for our team building exercise (literal exercise, we did soccer drills with a trainer!). Photo included above.

WTDC’s Internship Program was my father Ralph’s vision and he now visits the office on Fridays just to sit with the Interns and offer them guidance. I now have the pleasure of working with each of the Interns to see their projects come to fruition in Operations and Customer Service, marketing our new door to door logistics service between Chile & USA, as well as between Brazil & USA, creating videos for social media, and implementing green initiatives for the company. I welcome the opportunity to speak with your company about beginning and maintaining an Internship program. Sending warm wishes to all our friends in cooler places today!

-Sean Gazitua, President & CEO  
Send an email to WTDC President & CEO Sean Gazitua

    Photo: PortMiami Twitter
Valentine’s Day flowers highlight the floral boom at PortMiami  
Miami has been the main hub for flowers entering the US since the 1990s but now PortMiami is seeing a dramatic increase in floral imports, traffic that was previously almost entirely routed through Miami International Airport. PortMiami imported 41.6 million flower stems in 3 weeks pre-Valentine’s Day 2021, a dramatic increase considering the port imported only 8.6 million stems during the same period in 2019 and in 2017 just over 50,000 stems were imported for the entire year. Advances in cold-chain technology, dedicated shipping lanes, and Miami’s abundance of refrigerated warehouses create the infrastructure for flower stems to reach Florida and Georgia overnight and the entire East Coast and Midwest in 3 to 4 business days after arriving at PortMiaimi.  
Floral Daily: PortMiami brings 2021 Valentine’s Day flowers in record numbers PortMiami Twitter: 41.6 million flower stems    

PortMiami staying afloat despite cruise line halt  
Record container volumes and a little belt-tightening are helping PortMiami offset the cruising halt that began in March 2020 and will continue until at least April 2021. By bailing out the cruise ships by waiving their operator guarantees and berthing fees until March 2021, the County is missing out on approximately $7 million in monthly revenue. The port can continue to operate until the end of the fiscal year without dipping into savings thanks to cost-saving efforts such as a hiring freeze, pausing marketing and unnecessary capital projects, and eliminating overtime.   Miami Today: With cruises halted, PortMiami keeps it head above water    

Brexit impact on spirits industry  
The Spirits Business interviewed Miles Beale, chief executive of Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA), to discuss how Brexit has affected the spirits industry including short term challenges such as labeling and long waits to process cargo through two Customs systems.

One of the more interesting topics discussed was the UK’s decision to create new geographical indications (GI) to not only protect established products like Scotch whisky but to create and promote new categories such as Welsh whisky.

Beale discussed how the last minute trade agreement between the UK and EU resolved many trade and tariff issues and that over 50 trade continuity deals were were put into place by the UK government. The UK may consider joining the CPTPP trading bloc which would further reduce or eliminate tariffs for the spirits industry.   The Spirits Business: How Brexit will impact the spirits sector      

JetBlue begins daily flights to and from MIA   On February 11, Miami International Airport welcomed its first JetBlue flights to the airport. Miami-Dade County officials and JetBlue representatives participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the discount airline’s new footprint at MIA. MIA was the busiest passenger airport without JetBlue service prior to last week’s launch. Four cities will now be served from MIA by JetBlue: Boston (up to 4x daily), Los Angeles (up to 2x daily), New York-JFK (up to 4x daily), and Newark (up to 4x daily).  
Miami-Dade County: JetBlue celebrates 21st birthday with first-ever Miami flights    


Team WTDC at the 2020 Live Like Bella Superhero 5k  
Join us March 30 for the virtual Live Like Bella Superhero 5k  
WTDC is a proud sponsor of Live Like Bella Childhood Cancer Foundation and participates annually in their 5k race to call attention to childhood cancer, raise funds for research, and support the families affected by this terrible disease. We invite you to join WTDC by participating in the virtual Live Like Bella Superhero 5k. The following information is from Live Like Bella: Every year, Bella Believers from around the world come together for our Superhero 5k to honor the brave childhood cancer fighters we serve! In 2021 we come together yet again to honor our superheroes but on a different day and in a different way – virtually! To ensure the health and safety of our supporters, our 7th Annual Superhero 5k will take place virtually this year on  Saturday, March 20, 2021. Grab your sneakers, capes (and even your dogs!), and let’s run (or walk) together in solidarity! Register today for our first ever virtual Live Like Bella® Superhero 5k! You can sign up as an individual or create a virtual team. Sponsorship opportunities are available at any level.  
Live Like Bella® Virtual Superhero 5k Run/Walk  

UK & EU reach Brexit trade deal

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WTDC Newsletter: January 4, 2021

  • President’s Corner: 6000 days accident free, 2021 outlook
  • UK & EU reach Brexit trade deal
  • PortMiami waives harbor and cruise berth fees
  • Miami International Airport extends relief for tenants
  • WTDC donated over 120 pajamas to His House Children’s Home
  • TTB to allow 700 ml bottles
President’s Corner
We kick off the first Monday in 2021 with a bit of good news: today marks 6000 days at WTDC without a safety incident. We began tracking our safety record in 2004 when I was working in WTDC Operations, learning our business from the ground up. We are extremely proud of our safety record and regularly implement best practices to ensure it continues. I will skip the 2020 recap and jump right into my outlook for 2021. I feel that our company is ready for nearly any opportunity that 2021 may present. I am optimistic about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines and the return of cruising and airline passenger traffic. WTDC is committed to our Duty Free and Travel Retail clients as we await renewed consumer confidence in the travel sector. We’ve pivoted to be ready for new business from the renewable energy and medical equipment sectors. We are excited to grow WTDC Chile (more on that to come) as we build our transportation and customer service footprint with our Chilean logistics partner Empresas Perrot. WTDC Transportation and Customs Brokerage departments continue to grow alongside our FTZ inventory control clients. And our employees have bought in to our vision for navigating this new normal in 2021. We are grateful for their commitment. As always, I remain at your service. Wishing you health and prosperity in 2021. -Sean Gazitua, President & CEO
Send an email to WTDC President & CEO Sean Gazitua
 
UK & EU reach Brexit trade deal
On December 30, United Kingdom lawmakers signed off on the post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union. The deal comes four years after the UK voted to leave the EU and retains the tariff free and quota free access to the EU that the UK was in jeopardy of losing if a deal was not in place on December 31, 2020. The trade deal will allow the UK to set its own labor and environmental standards with arbitration not based in the EU courts. The deal also reestablishes the UK’s rights over its fishing waters, raising its share from around half to two-thirds with the ability to establish annual negotiations with the EU and other countries. Bilateral trade between the UK and EU is worth more than 650 billion annually. Click the articles below for a in-depth review of industry sectors including automotive, chemicals, pharmaceutical, professional services, and trucking.
Financial Times: Brexit trade deal explained: the key parts of the landmark agreement
Bloomberg: Brexit Is a New World Businesses Still Need to Figure Out
PortMiami waives harbor and cruise berthing fees
“Miami-Dade County will continue to support our cruise line partners through these unprecedented times,” Ms. Levine Cava said in a statement. “As we await the safe return of cruising, we will maintain our commitment to our stakeholders who have shown great resilience during this crisis.” Miami-Dade County extended the PortMiami harbor and cruise berthing fee waivers until January 31, 2021, an extension of the waivers in place since March 13, 2020.
Miami Today: County extends fee waivers for PortMiami cruise ships
 
Miami International Airport extends relief for tenants
Miami-Dade Commissioners extended Miami International Airport’s tenant waiver for monthly rent and guaranteed payments until April 21, 2021. Since March 2020, MIA has waived over $8 million per month for the duty free shops, restaurants, car rental companies, and service businesses in the airport.
Miami Today: Miami International Airport may forgive tenants $107 million
 
WTDC donated over 120 pajamas to the children of His House
Thank you to our clients, tenants, and employees who helped us exceed our goal! Each year WTDC collects new pajamas for the children of His House Children’s Home, a non-profit faith-based organization committed to restoring the lives of children from newborn to 18 years of age.
WTDC Pajama drive for His House
 
TTB to allow 700 ml bottles
On December 29, the US Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published new standards for allowable sizes of wines and spirits containers. Among the sizes to be allowed for the first time is the 700 ml bottle, the EU standard for three decades. The closest US equivalent is the 750 ml bottle. The new TTB standards aim to “eliminate restrictions on competition and the movement of goods in domestic and international commerce.” In addition to 700 ml imports, the rule also allows US distillers to bottle at 700 ml for international and domestic sale.
TTB: Addition of New Standards of Fill for Wine and Distilled Spirits
Whisky Cast: U.S. To Allow 700ml Whisky Bottles For First Time