Flower power: young love and free trade keep the flowers moving through Miami International Airport.

Many international travelers complain about long lines and bad service at Miami International Airport. Flowers, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. Almost all U.S.-bound flowers enter the country via Miami International Airport. And they're in and out without the many hassles that people face.

For flowers, it's a whole other ball game. The airplane pulls right up to the door of a massive refrigerated hangar. Thanks to their natural delicacy, flowers quickly move from the airplane just a few meters through their very own customs facilities and off to refrigerated trucks, where they'll end up in the hands of apologizing boyfriends across the United States and Canada.

Of the US$600 million in flowers the United States imports each year, 88% come though Miami International, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York comes in a distant second place, handling 4.9%, according to the government.

"There is no other airport in the country that mirrors what happens in Miami," says Christine Boldt, president of the association of floral importers of Florida. "We have been able to negotiate things for the Miami airport that don't exist anywhere else."

That includes streamlining customs. At most other airports, a flower importer would have to set up a time slot for an inspector to get the goods into the country. Considering that there are hundreds of importers in South Florida alone, such a process would be very time consuming in Miami.

Instead, the air-cargo carriers, hauling goods for several importers in the bellies of their planes, set up customs procedures in one shot. Refrigerated facilities have their own customs personnel, which eases pressure on importers. "If we were all calling for inspectors, we would be waiting for days," says Boldt.

Miami is a hotspot for flower imports due to its proximity to flower-producing countries. Almost 70% of the United States' imported flowers come from Colombia, while 21% come from Ecuador, both short plane trips to South Florida. Costa Rica also sends flowers through Miami.

Currently, no duties apply to those flower imports due to preferential trade agreements, a deal due to expire at the end of this year. Colombia and the United States have since approved free trade; Ecuador was in the process of negotiating with the United States at press time. "Hopefully, they will take affect Jan. 1," Boldt says.

For the carriers themselves, flowers are big business. Chile's LAN Cargo operates 5,575 square meters of refrigerated warehouses at Miami International Airport. At LAN, airplanes pull right up to a large door just a stone's throw away from the customs facility. The flowers are unloaded, given the green light from the inspector and then jump on refrigerated trucks in just seven hours, tops.

Flower flow. If it weren't for customs, it would take minutes. "Every box from every farm needs to be inspected," says Stephen J. Leonard, regional sales director for LAN Cargo. Temperatures in the facility hover just above freezing, which keep the flowers from farms across the Andes fresh. It takes a grower a day to get freshly cut flowers to Miami International. From there, it takes around three days to get flowers to florists anywhere in the country.

Industry analysts note that Miami International Airport shines when it comes to storing perishables. Miami International Airport is perfectly capable of handling growth in flowers and other imports.

"We have the ability to store 500 tons of flowers all at the same time," says Luis Carrasco, consignee sales manager at LAN Cargo. Aside from flowers, LAN Cargo facilities store fish from South America to the United States. Sixty-six percent of all U.S. fish imports come through Miami, with JFK International coming in second place again at 12.9%, according to the airport. And yes, LAN keeps the fish away from the flowers.

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FORREST JONES * MIAMI