Page 1: Port Manatee
Page 2: Port Tampa Bay
Page 4: Port Panama City
Page 5: Port of Pensacola
With expanding containerized and breakbulk cargo service offerings and a wide range of activities extending beyond freight movement, ports along the Gulf Coast of Florida are collectively enjoying dynamic times.
Ongoing infrastructure enhancements augur to bring even greater gains to the diverse Sunshine State ports along the Gulf of Mexico.
Starting in the Tampa Bay area and moving northward and then west along the Florida Panhandle, here’s the lowdown on the latest at ports of the Florida Gulf Coast:
Port Manatee
This year celebrating its 50-year anniversary, Port Manatee continues to set records, including a peak of nearly 10.1 million cargo tons in its fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 2019, while handling a diverse array of commodities, from petroleum products and juice concentrates, to granite and limestone, to forest products and containerized produce.
In January, fast-growing Port Manatee-based World Direct Shipping extended through 2026 its port agreement and added a third vessel to its weekly services from Mexico, which began with a single vessel in late 2014. On the perishables import front, WDS joins Del Monte Fresh Produce Co., now in its fourth decade bringing bananas, pineapples and avocados to its on-port Southeast distribution hub.
Located near Tampa Bay’s entrance, Port Manatee is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal and serves as a gateway to dynamic markets of Central and Southwest Florida while offering nearly 5,000 acres of surrounding green space for development. The International Trade Hub at Port Manatee is extending its global reach with opening of overseas promotional offices in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Spain.
