SeaPort Manatee has experienced a significant surge in exports over the past five years, according to port officials. Exports have risen by 231.55% during this period and increased by 11.6% in the last year alone.
Heavy-lift machinery has been a primary driver of this increase, with a 55% year-over-year rise. This category of machinery accounted for $102 million of the port’s $351.17 million in exports for 2023, as reported in the WorldCity SeaPort Manatee Trade Numbers brochure.
The brochure identifies the top five exports from SeaPort Manatee, highlighting that there were 459 different types of exports shipped out of the port in 2023—the highest number ever recorded. Notably, five categories saw growth exceeding 1,000% in the past year: frozen beef, makeup and skincare products, computers, metal sheeting gaskets, and motor vehicle chassis.
SeaPort Manatee’s export volumes have been increasing for four consecutive years, breaking previous records for three straight years.
While exports saw an uptick year-over-year, imports experienced a slight decline. The port handled $1.84 billion in imports—a decrease of 10.04% from 2023—marking the third consecutive year that imports exceeded $1 billion. Despite this recent dip, imports have trended upward over the past five years with an overall increase of 111.12%.