Port Tampa Bay provides annual State of the Port, celebrates cruise and cargo milestones

- Port Tampa Bay released the annual ‘State of the Port’ to recap milestones the organization experienced in Fiscal Year 2019 (Oct 1, 2018 – Sept 30, 2019), including record containerized cargo and cruise passenger numbers. Port Tampa Bay President and CEO Paul Anderson, provides information on the port’s diverse lines of business, gives an update on future project and growth opportunities, and celebrates the many successes of the past year. 

“In 2019, Port Tampa Bay experienced an all-time record year in revenue and in several areas of business. The port continues to grow and meet the demands of our region. The successes experienced last year, including record cruise and cargo numbers, were made possible by our dedicated staff, Board of Commissioners, the maritime community, and most importantly, our customers” explained Paul Anderson, Port Tampa Bay President and CEO.

Anyone interested in viewing the 2019 State of the Port can watch the address in its entirety here. Additionally, the pre-recorded video is  

Here are highlights from the 2019 State of the Port address:

  • Port Tampa Bay ended the fiscal year 2019 with operating revenue of $65.2 million, which represents a 9.1% increase and the port’s third consecutive record revenue year.
  • The port experienced a surge in containerized cargo service, welcoming three direct weekly Asia services. The Port welcomed new container lines CMA CGM, COSCO, Maersk, Sealand, OOCL, and Evergreen joining ZIM, MSC, and Seacat Lines as the port’s major carriers.  
  • In FY 2019, Port Tampa Bay saw increases in almost every cargo.
  • Port Tampa Bay surpassed the 1 million cruise passenger mark for the second year in a row.  The 1,149,289 cruise passengers represented a double-digit percentage increase over the previous record-setting year.
  • Port Tampa Bay’s real estate portfolio included more than 60 executed deals, involving current acreage and new revenue acreage, for an incremental $3.75 million.

Port Tampa Bay continues to affect more than 85,000 jobs, brings in 43% of the state’s petroleum, and serves a region that includes more than 300 distribution warehouses along the I-4 corridor, while functioning as Central Florida’s largest economic engine contributing more than $18 billion in economic impact.