Port Tampa Bay: Growing today, leading tomorrow
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
FLORIDA TRADE AND LOGISTICS
Operational efficiency
Port Everglades is positioning itself for the future by doubling down on what some ports domestically and internationally struggle to execute consistently: speed to market for perishables.
“ In the North – South trade lane connecting the United States with Latin America and the Caribbean, the South Florida gateway has carved out a measurable advantage— one rooted in geography, infrastructure and cargo specialization,” Hernández said.
“ The numbers tell a clear story. In fiscal year 2025, perishable goods accounted for 18 % of Port Everglades’ total containerized cargo throughput, helping the port secure its position as the No. 1 gateway in Florida for perishables and No. 8 in the United States.
“ That speed advantage is amplified by proximity to demand. More than 6 million consumers live within a 100- mile radius, and Florida’ s 156 million annual visitors create a constant pull for fresh food products,” he said.“ Roughly 80 % of the port’ s cargo stays within 80 miles, minimizing inland transit time and preserving product quality through the final mile.”
Port Everglades also offers direct access to the interstate highway system and Florida East Coast Railway’ s 43-acre Intermodal Container Transfer Facility.
“ This enables seamless transfers between ship, truck and rail. For shippers, that translates into fewer handoffs, tighter scheduling and greater supply chain predictability, [ which is ] especially important for temperaturesensitive goods,” Hernández said.
At Port Tampa Bay, an additional productivity measure was introduced in the form of two new heavy-lift, shipto-shore gantry cranes, which were delivered from Ireland in late April. Once fully assembled, they will be deployed at the berth 214 wharf, part of the port’ s ongoing container terminal expansion.
The port is expanding that container terminal to 100 acres to handle 1 million TEUs annually.“ That will give us the ability to handle container growth for the next 10 years,” Anderson said. In addition, they are adding 1,300 linear feet of bulkheads to build another terminal where they will be able to handle one more ship, he said, noting that full build out of that berth is expected by the end of 2026.
Tampa is also projected to welcome a record 1.8 million passengers in 2026 at its three cruise terminals, up from the current record of 1.66 million passengers who sailed from the port in 2025. A fourth cruise terminal is currently under construction.
“ This allows us to handle up to 1 million additional passengers annually,” Anderson said of the facility.“ It will also add $ 100 million in economic impact when it’ s completed and handling the full scope of passengers, and that will give us the additional capacity to handle 200- plus new cruise ship calls a year.”
According to port data, Port Tampa Bay’ s cruise business has a $ 648 million economic impact on the West Central Florida region. The new cruise terminal, along with the new gantry cranes and container yards, will add jobs and increase tax revenue to both local governments and the regional economy. Congress authorized the Tampa Harbor Navigation Improvement Project in late 2024. In partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers( USACE),
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 / roll-off cargo, and energy products, providing customers with flexibility in a dynamic logistics environment.
Containerized cargo remains a key growth driver. The port handled approximately 263,000 TEUs in 2025, 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.
48 Journal of Commerce | June 1, 2026 www. joc. com