How much does MIA love Valentine’s Day? We count the ways

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.