Valentine flower imports increase at Miami airport, despite tariffs and higher costs, officials say

"Winged babies shooting heart-shaped arrows might get most of the credit on Valentine's Day, but the real magic behind millions of romantic bouquets happens in a cargo warehouse at a South Florida airport. Agricultural specialists at Miami International Airport will process about 990 million stems of cut flowers in the weeks before Feb. 14, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Around 90% of the fresh cut flowers being sold for Valentine's Day in the United States come through Miami, while the other 10% pass through Los Angeles."

"Roses, carnations, pompons, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and gypsophila arrive on hundreds of flights, mostly from Colombia and Ecuador, to Miami on their journey to florists and supermarkets across the U.S. and Canada. Miami's largest flower importer is Avianca Cargo, based in Medellín, Colombia. In preparation for Valentine's Day, the company is transporting about 19,000 tons of flowers on 320 full cargo flights, CEO Diogo Elias said Friday in Miami."

""We fly flowers for the whole year, but Valentine's is special," Elias said. "Much more concentrated on roses, red roses especially. More than 50-60% are red roses at this time." Customers buying flowers will likely see an increase in price this year. Christine Boldt, executive vice president for the Association of Floral Importers of America, said the cause is largely related to tariffs placed last year on imports from Colombia and Ecuador, along with a new minimum wage enacted this year in Colombia. "This adds significant dollars to the bouquets that are coming in," Boldt said. "Every consumer is gonna have to face additional costs.""

Miami International Airport processes nearly a billion cut-flower stems in the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, moving roughly 90% of the nation’s fresh-cut flower imports. Shipments arrive on hundreds of flights, mainly from Colombia and Ecuador, and include roses, carnations, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums and gypsophila. Avianca Cargo is running about 320 full cargo flights carrying approximately 19,000 tons of flowers for the holiday, with red roses comprising over half of seasonal shipments. Tariffs on imports and a new Colombian minimum wage are driving higher consumer prices. Flowers remain among the largest imports handled at the airport, which received almost 3.5 million tons of cargo last year.

Read at Sun Sentinel