Port Canaveral is looking to expand its cargo business by turning to cars.

This week, the Canaveral Port Authority gave approval to move ahead with design of a $75 million automotive import/export complex.

If a multinational automaker selects Port Canaveral, it could mean up to 220 on-site jobs, with an additional 50 to 100 trucking jobs.

The undisclosed automaker is looking to import its vehicles into the southeastern United States, most likely from manufacturing plants in Mexico.

Port Canaveral leaders said it’s competitive, but said they’ve got a good chance at landing the deal because of the port’s location close to Orlando International Airport, the world’s number one car rental location.

"There's a demand for getting product closer to where the consumer is," said Port Canaveral CEO John Walsh. "A lot of the product these manufacturers are bringing in are going in to Orlando, Tampa, South Florida. By coming into Port Canaveral, we can reduce their trucking costs, and it's a market that we've just never chased before so we're chasing it hard now."  

Plans call for importing 125,000 vehicles in the first year, with 300,000 vehicles in three to four years.

The complex, which would be built just east of the new Cruise Terminal 1, would be a six-story garage and a processing facility.

The port could hear if they got the deal in the next month or so.