Port Tampa Bay welcomed the container ship ZIM Canada on 9 April 2025—the largest vessel by both TEU capacity (11,900) and gross tonnage (114,643) to ever call at the port.  

Built in 2022 in China, the 132,069 DWT vessel is owned by Seaspan and chartered long-term to ZIM. It is registered in the Marshall Islands.  

The arrival highlights the port’s growing ability to handle ultra-large container ships—and the need for infrastructure upgrades, including deeper channels and modern cranes.  

The $1.3 billion Tampa Harbor Navigation Improvement Project will deepen the federal channel from 43 ft to 47 ft, extend it by 1.9 miles, and remove 22 million cubic yards of material. Construction starts in 2027; completion is expected by 2034.  

At last week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded $10 million in federal funding for planning and design. Six new post-Panamax cranes will be operational by end-2026.  

In FY2025, the port handled 32 million metric tons of cargo—including petroleum, dry bulk, containers (262,800 TEUs, up 300% since 2018), breakbulk, and project cargo. It handles 45% of Florida’s gasoline and jet fuel.  

In 2025, it set a cruise passenger record: 1.66 million—up from previous highs, with 1.8 million projected for 2026. 

However, a proposed new cruise terminal in Manatee County was blocked by state legislation signed on 19 March 2025. The site lies outside the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, where vertical clearance limits access for larger cruise ships. Officials are now assessing alternative locations.

Resource.: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/tGTwTMNgqyUQXgf-kInPCQ