While Cupid’s arrows capture the spotlight on Valentine’s Day, the real magic happens behind the scenes at a bustling cargo hub in South Florida. Miami International Airport is set to process nearly 990 million stems of cut flowers in the run‑up to February 14, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
About nine out of every ten fresh bouquets sold for the holiday in the United States are routed through Miami, with the remaining ten percent flying in via Los Angeles. The blossoms—roses, carnations, pompons, hydrangeas, chrysanthemums, and gypsophila—arrive on hundreds of flights, mostly from Colombia and Ecuador.
One of the airport’s largest importers is a Colombian cargo carrier headquartered in Medellín. The firm is ferrying roughly 19,000 tons of flowers on 320 full‑cargo flights, more than twice the usual volume. “We fly flowers all year, but Valentine’s is a special rush,” the company’s CEO explained. “Red roses dominate the market; they make up 50‑60 percent of what we bring in at this time.”
Customers can expect higher prices this year. The Association of Floral Importers of America points to last year’s tariffs on Colombian and Ecuadorian imports, combined with a new minimum wage in Colombia, as the main drivers. “These costs are passed straight to the consumer,” the organization’s executive vice president said.
Despite the price hike, flowers remain a key cargo commodity for Miami. In 2025 the airport handled almost 3.5 million tons of cargo, with blossoms accounting for about 400,000 tons—over a quarter of that volume shipped before Valentine’s Day, representing a 6 percent increase over the previous year.
“It’s a point of pride,” the airport director remarked. “From Omaha to the suburbs of New York, the flowers people love for Valentine’s or Mother’s Day often travel through our terminal.”
CBP agricultural specialists play a critical role in protecting U.S. agriculture. Inspectors screen each bundle for pests and diseases, finding an average of 40‑50 plant pests a day, the most common being moths. These are passed to the Department of Agriculture for assessment, ensuring that the imported flowers do not introduce new threats.
