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Issue 5 2021 - FBJNA


///GULF COAST PORTS


>> 13 has been a there


Buq ue r a s reports


significant increase in fruits and vegetables, appliances, wood pulp and


forestry


products. He adds there is also more breakbulk cargo moving from the Far East, which previously moved in containers. Port Manatee is nearing


completion of an $8.3 million project to double its dockside container yard size. The expansion will add 9.3 acres to the existing 10-acre paved facility. Buqueras notes the port has recently completed its


$1.2 million North Gate


expansion project by adding two outbound lanes and upgrading the access control system to accommodate the growing truck traffic. In addition, the port completed a $1 million transfer facility in April 2020 and invested $4 million in road improvements. Addressing the port’s


sustainable initiatives, Buqueras notes Port Manatee is in the process of changing its light fixtures to more energy-efficient LED lighting. The port is also planning to add EV charging stations as more tenants switch to electric yard equipment. In addition, Port Manatee uses green locomotives for its rail transport operations, reducing emissions up to 90


percent.


Port Tampa Bay. “The diversity of Port Tampa Bay’s cargo mix and multiple lines of business proved to be our greatest strength over the past year as we successfully navigated through the pandemic,” said Raul Alfonso, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. “Container volumes are up 46% over the past six months, driven by the continued expansion of distribution centers along the Tampa Bay/ Orlando I-4 Corridor, which is Florida’s distribution hub and home to the largest concentration of distribution centers in the state.” Alfonso said as Port Tampa


Bay is the closest port to serve this market, companies can now make multiple round-trip deliveries per day, saving in trucking costs compared with traditional routes from more distant ports. Home to almost half of


Florida’s population of 21 million residents, as well as being a major tourism destination, the I-4 Corridor is fueling demand for everything from retail, food and beverage, to energy products and construction and building materials. “We saw a 29% increase in steel products over the past 6 months, as well as new


The Port of Brownsville moved a record 11.6 million short tons of cargo in 2020. (Port of Brownsville photo.)


breakbulk lumber business and expanding perishable business.” The addition of new direct


Asian services in the last two years has been a major driver of growth in the port’s container business, according to Alfonso. He says in the past six months, the port has also


added new container


connections serving Mexico, offering a much more efficient supply chain solution via the “Gulf of Mexico marine highway,” versus the congested and expensive traditional overland routes. “Our next area of focus is


on expanding services with Central and South America, as these are important regions for sourcing food, beverage products, including fresh produce, as well as being important export market destinations,” said Alfonso. “The port is are also a major generator of phosphate fertilizer products heading back down to the farms in Latin America.” Port Tampa Bay’s board


recently approved a lease for a new export manufacturer, Celadon, which will invest up to $400 million in a paper fiber


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