Port Manatee Sets Records for Cargo Activity
Port Manatee, near Tampa, Fla., announced its busiest first fiscal half in its nearly 50-year history, shattering several key cargo records for the six-month period ended March 31.
The Gulf Coast port achieved new first-half highs for total tonnage, throughput, and containerized and bulk cargo activity compared with the first six months of fiscal 2018, including:
- Total short tons, up 14%, to 5,132,864.
- Containerized cargo, as measured by 20-foot-equivalents units (TEUs), up 34% to 25,242.
- Containerized cargo tons, up 36% to 262,143.
- Dry bulk cargo tons, up 32% to 1.2 million.
- Liquid bulk cargo tons, up 11% to 3.4 million.
Much of the gain in containerized cargo activity is attributable to a more-than-doubling of juice volumes coming into the port in specially fitted container units, imported via Mexico services of Port Manatee-based World Direct Shipping. Also contributing significantly to container volumes is longtime tenant Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Inc., according to the Palmetto, Fla., port.
Port Manatee shatters first-half cargo records https://t.co/bRSOFIAE2u pic.twitter.com/rOAr74M4Tp
— Port Manatee (@Port_Manatee) April 18, 2019
On the dry bulk front, volumes of fly ash, salt and cement moving across Port Manatee docks all more than doubled from the year-earlier figures, while liquid bulk gains were propelled by increases in gasoline, bunker fuels, diesel and ethanol, as well as not-from-concentrate juices.
“The sustained vibrant growth of Port Manatee underscores the success of our diverse strategy to boost cargo activity while supporting even more family-wage jobs and further economic gains throughout our region,” Manatee County Port Authority Chairwoman Vanessa Baugh said in a statement. — Transport Topics
