LOVE is in the air this Valentine’s Day season, and so are 940 million fresh flowers.
Many people in love may not realize that a single airport in the US manages 90 percent of all imported flowers. Workers at this airport are currently facing a tough challenge to dispatch flower bouquets before Friday arrives.
Popular flowers like roses, carnations, and chrysanthemums come in from Colombia and Ecuador. Upon arrival, they undergo processing and inspection by customs officers to guarantee timely delivery to florists and supermarkets ahead of special occasions.
And 90 percent of shipments to the US are processed through the Miami International Airport, with the rest being sent to Los Angeles.
Reportedly, Avianca Cargo, the largest flower importer in Miami, has transported a staggering 18,000 tons of flowers from Colombia via 300 flights within a span of three weeks, as per The Associated Press.
“We transport flowers all year round, but specifically during the Valentine’s season, we more than double our capacity because there’s more than double the demand,” senior vice president Diogo Elias said.
Flowers are a major import at Miami International, making up nearly 400,000 tons of the 3 million tons of cargo processed last year.
The shipments are valued at over $1.6 billion, Miami-Dade County Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Morales said.
In January and February alone, the flower imports are worth a whopping $450 million.
With 1,500 tons arriving daily, the scale of this operation is enormous.
Agriculture specialists with US Customs and Border Protection have to inspect over a billion stems of cut flowers each year in preparation for Valentine’s Day, according to Kevin Harriger, Executive Director of Agriculture Programs and Trade Liaison
They’re searching for harmful pests and diseases that could enter the US and ravage native agriculture.
“Invasive species cost the US agriculture industry $120 billion annually in economic and environmental losses,” said MIA port director Daniel Alonso, underscoring the importance of these inspections.
To help with the increased flower imports during this busy time, the APTL sends extra staff to the Miami port.
FLOWER IMPORT SURGE
In the past year, CBP agents checked over 385 million flower arrangements, 76 million roses, and 75 million chrysanthemums, according to US Customs and Border Protection.
By February 7, they had inspected more than 1.1 billion cut flowers, seizing 1,158 shipments with pests and 627 that could have carried diseases into the country.
Most flowers that come into the US are safe, but even one pest or plant disease can cause major problems for American agriculture.
CBP works closely with the floral industry to stop these harmful pests from getting in and protect the country’s crops.
Colombia’s flower industry faced the threat of a 25% tariff after President Gustavo Petro rejected US military flights carrying deported immigrants.
Between the two countries, the United States imports roughly $150 million worth of flowers every year.
Petro accused President Trump of mistreating immigrants and warned of retaliatory tariffs on US goods, including flowers.
Tensions soared as Trump demanded Colombia accept US planes carrying deported migrants, and the South American nation refused.
However, the trade dispute ended in late January when Colombia agreed to allow the flights to land.
Now, with the tariff crisis averted, flowers from Colombia continue to flood into Miami, just in time for the Valentine’s Day rush.
