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A group of 20 public and private trade organization representatives from Costa Rica toured Port Everglades in Hollywood, Fla., last week, to observe the port's operations and facilities, and learn about its expansion plans.

Costa Rica ranks as the port’s second-largest export and third-largest import trading partner, accounting for about 50,000 20-foot equivalent units, or 76 percent of Florida's waterborne trade with the Central American country, port officials said in a prepared statement.

"Central America, of which Costa Rica is a major component, is Port Everglades' primary market, and we intend to build on our success through infrastructure investments that will ensure that the port can handle larger vessels and higher volumes in the future," said Port Everglades Deputy Director Glenn Wiltshire.

Three infrastructure expansion projects currently are under way at the Fort Lauderdale-area port that, when completed within the next two to five years, will add five new cargo berths, widen and deepen channels to 50 feet, and add a state-of-the-art, on-port rail yard, port officials said. The yard will be built and operated by Florida East Coast Railway.