News & Updates

Conveniently located near the entrance to Tampa Bay, Port Manatee provides an uncongested gateway for diverse commerce while offering thousands of proximate acres for incentivized development.

Continuing to shatter a full spectrum of cargo records, Port Manatee offers vast opportunities for incentivized development on some 5,000 acres of land ideally located at the doorstep of burgeoning Southwest and Central Florida markets.

Strategically situated near the entrance to Tampa Bay along Florida’s Gulf Coast, Port Manatee enhances its perfect geographic positioning with superior intermodal connectivity, uncongested facilities and highly competitive rates, as well as expansive adjacent green space and proactive encouragement of international trade.

Little wonder, then, that Port Manatee once again established new all-time highs for activity in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, including handling a record of more than 9.3 million tons, up 19.1 percent from the preceding 12-month period. All key sectors – containers, dry bulk, liquid bulk and breakbulk – enjoyed record performances.

Indicative of diversity in growth, Port Manatee in the last fiscal year saw throughput of nearly 422 million gallons of gasoline – literally fueling Southwest Florida – while moving 73 million gallons of fruit juices and 413,060 tons of fruits and vegetables, including bananas and pineapples shipped throughout the U.S. Southeast. Commodities from lumber and wood pulp to phosphate rock and granite also substantially contributed to Port Manatee’s best-ever performance.

While such remarkable results bear testament to the current significance of Port Manatee (generating $2.3 billion-plus in annual economic impacts and supporting more than 24,000 direct and indirect jobs), even more impressive may be the prospects for the future.

The Florida International Gateway Improvement District and related encouragement zones, encompassing nearly 5,000 acres of largely undeveloped land within and adjacent to Port Manatee, bring extensive beneficial incentives, from expedited permitting and regional impact exemptions to economic development incentive grants. Further benefits to those engaged in global commerce are offered by Port Manatee’s Foreign-Trade Zone No. 169.

Meanwhile, the International Trade Hub at Port Manatee, founded in 2014, serves as a critical link between markets in Florida and throughout the world. The hub provides expert advice and support tools to local and global firms alike, assisting them with production, distribution and related activities, including development of innovative supply chain solutions. In August, the International Trade Hub at Port Manatee successfully completed a three-city business development tour, adding to momentum gained through numerous visits to Port Manatee by high-level government and trade officials of such diverse nations as Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Poland and Spain.

Recent infrastructure enhancements at the port include reconstruction of Berth 9 to accommodate heavier loads and expansion of the south gate to facilitate moves of larger oversized cargos. Port Manatee’s north gate is now undergoing expansion, and modernization of the port’s access control system is being advanced.

Over the past half-century, Port Manatee has continued to build upon its enviable status as a key cog not only in global supply chains but, moreover, in the socioeconomic well-being of the region the port is privileged to serve.

Visit portmanatee.com to learn more about the benefits of taking the right turn on Tampa Bay.