Port Tampa Bay: Growing today, leading tomorrow
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
ASIA TRADE AND LOGISTICS
stronger two-way trade balance, thereby keeping equipment in circulation, reducing repositioning costs and making Tampa a more attractive gateway for carriers.
When exporters like Mosaic fill outbound containers, it reduces empty backhauls, improves service reliability and strengthens the economics of maintaining and expanding Asia-focused services. For shippers across the Southeast, that translates into additional stable capacity, better rates and a more resilient supply chain.
Keeping momentum
Despite inflation and tariff uncertainty, Tampa’ s container volumes remain strong, increasing over 20 % year over year. Breakbulk, however, has been hit harder.
“ We have steel products coming in and we’ ve seen a significant drop, but we hope for tariff stabilization,” Alfonso said.“ Being at 15 %, 25 % … that will be fine. But the sustainability of 50 % … that needs to change.”
Some industry analysts have stated that nearshoring is the nemesis of Asian trade and logistics. Undoubtedly, it is reshaping some trade flows, and Tampa is staying ready.
“ Our geographic position plays well into that,” Alfonso said, citing proximity to Mexico, the Gulf, and Latin America. Mexico offers a three-day transit time and is very price competitive, although it remains a one-way trade.
When viewing nearshoring in a different light, some analysts say it doesn’ t decrease Asia-US trade at all— it simply changes the way it works. Even when production shifts to Mexico or other Latin American countries, many of those factories still rely heavily on Chinese and broader Asian inputs.
In practice, that means Asia remains deeply embedded in North American supply chains; the cargo merely moves through new routes and new combinations of ocean, cross-border and regional logistics.
For ports such as Tampa, this shift creates opportunity: proximity to Mexico and the Gulf positions Port Tampa Bay to capture new flows of semi-finished goods, components and finished products moving through these hybrid Asia – Mexico – US supply chains. Instead of being a threat, nearshoring becomes another channel through which Asia-linked trade grows, but in a more distributed, diversified fashion.
Regarding the port’ s preparedness for shifts away from China toward Southeast Asia, Alfonso is confident.
“ As long as we are serving our region and providing the efficiency, that is what really matters,” he said. If trade flows shift from trans-Pacific to trans-Atlantic,“ we are not going to be part of that option.” But Tampa’ s strengths remain clear.“ The Panama Canal trans-Pacific services, our proximity to Mexico, the US Gulf, and Latin America— that is our sweet spot,” Alfonso added.
The port prides itself on being focused on regional efficiency, and Alfonso is optimistic in its ability to stay relevant no matter how global sourcing patterns evolve. Irrespective of origin, if the cargo moves through the Panama Canal and needs efficient Gulf and Southeastern US gateways, Tampa is ready. Its geographic position and service profile align directly with all emerging Southeast Asian trade lanes.
For BCOs, that translates to continuity of service, even as sourcing shifts across Asia. Importers will still have the highly
Port Tampa Bay: Growing today, leading tomorrow
As Florida’ s largest and most diversified seaport, Port Tampa Bay continues to strengthen its position through sustained cargo growth, targeted infrastructure investment and a focus on supply chain performance.
As the state’ s largest port by tonnage, acreage and cargo throughput, Port Tampa Bay serves as a leading economic engine for West Central Florida. The port generates an annual economic impact of $ 34.6 million and functions as a critical gateway for domestic and international trade.
Strategically located along the I-4 corridor, Port Tampa Bay is the closest seaport to Florida’ s major distribution hub and provides direct access to the state’ s largest and fastest-growing consumer market. The port itself spans approximately 5,000 acres of industrially zoned land with deepwater access, supporting a wide range of maritime and logistics operations.
Port Tampa Bay’ s strength lies in its intentional diversification. It handles a broad mix of cargo, including containerized freight, bulk commodities, breakbulk and project cargo, roll-on / rolloff cargo and energy products, providing customers with flexibility in a dynamic logistics environment.
Containerized cargo remains a key growth driver. The port handled a record nearly 263,000 TEUs last year, with volumes increasing more than 300 % since 2018. Ongoing expansion, including a 100-acre container terminal operated in partnership with Ports America, positions the port to scale toward 1 million TEUs annually while maintaining efficient vessel access and truck flow.
Recent investments are accelerating that trajectory. In April 2026, two new post-Panamax ship-to-shore cranes arrived, significantly increasing lift capacity and enabling the port to simultaneously service multiple large container vessels. In parallel, channel deepening and the construction of a third deepwater berth will allow for larger vessels, improved navigation efficiency and increased cargo throughput. These projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, further strengthening the port’ s role in regional and global supply chains.
For more information, visit porttb. com.
46 Journal of Commerce | July 6, 2026 www. joc. com