With more flower imports than any other airport in the U.S., Miami International Airport literally has a billion reasons to celebrate Valentine’s Day tomorrow:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspects more than one billion cut flowers for insects, pests, and diseases every Valentine’s Day season from January 1 to February 15 before they enter the U.S., and 89% of those imported flowers come through MIA, making it America’s flower imports gateway.
In 2022, CBP inspected 1.23 billion cut flowers during the peak season, and this year was projected to be just as busy.
MIA annually receives over 327,881 tons of flower imports valued at $1.5 billion, largely because of the Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day peak seasons.
Consumers are expected to spend $25.9 billion on Valentine’s Day this year, up from $23.9 billion in 2022 and one of the highest spending years on record, according to the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
