News & Updates

Seaport Spotlight: Port of Panama City

Port Panama City USA is a growing regional Port located in Bay County, Florida. The Port provides terminal handling services for a diverse portfolio of customers and commodities at its two, deep-water marine terminal facilities, and Intermodal Distribution Center.

The Port is actively engaged in regional economic development efforts. As part of its mission to support industrial development, Port Panama City works closely with the Bay Economic Development Agency, and Florida Great Northwest to support the expansion of existing industries, and attract new industrial and distribution companies to the region. The Port has developed a modern Intermodal Distribution Center (IDC) to promote warehousing and distribution services, transloading of bulk commodities between truck and rail, and provide shovel-ready sites for new industries. The IDC is centrally located 15 miles north of the Port’s East and West Terminals and is strategically connected to US Hwy. 231, the main truck route connecting Panama City to I-10 and I-65. Direct rail service to CSX and Norfolk Southern is provided via the Bay Line Railroad.

Secretary Perdue and FDOT Northwest Florida Secretary Phillip Gainer recently toured Port Panama City, and had the opportunity to see first-hand how the port is playing a leading role in growing Florida’s global trade. Perdue and Gainer joined Port Director Alex King in a tour of this Gulf Coast seaport.

The Port specializes in handling breakbulk, bulk and containerized cargoes. It also supports two, on-port manufacturing companies located at the West Terminal, as well as a number of other manufacturers in the region. The development of the new East Terminal and continued investment in modernizing port infrastructure have been the priority over the last five years. Key projects have included the construction of Phase One of the East Terminal, and upgrading rail and road connectivity to the new terminal. The Port is nearing completing construction of a 70,000 square foot Container Freight Station at the West Terminal, and started a $16 million bulk terminal expansion project to handle an additional 300,000 tons of biomass exports per year. This project is expected to be completed in mid-2023.

Over the next five years, Port Panama City is committed to adding 500,000 tons of new cargo activity between its two deep-water marine terminals. The Port plans to purchase additional land at the East Terminal in 2022, and looks to add a second berth and additional on-port warehouse capacity. The Port also continues to invest in its West Terminal by constructing additional truck staging capacity, and expanding the container terminal to support its growing regional container trade. These long-term investments to modernize the Port’s infrastructure will continue to attract diverse commodities, and support new industrial development.

Port Panama City supports 1,300 direct jobs and another 7,700 user-related jobs. Cargo activity generates an estimated 1.6 billion in economic value per year.