Maersk has unveiled plans to introduce a new weekly container service linking Port Tampa Bay with Cartagena, Colombia. The service is set to commence in the first quarter of 2025.
Port Tampa Bay President & CEO Paul Anderson expressed optimism about the development, stating, “This is great news from our longstanding partner Maersk demonstrating their commitment to our expanding market.”
Raul Alfonso, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at Port Tampa Bay, highlighted the benefits of the new connection: “This new container connection which will allow Port Tampa Bay customers to connect with Maersk’s worldwide network of services via its hub in Cartagena.”
Maersk ranks among the leading global container lines and is part of AP Moller-Maersk. The company operates as an integrated container logistics firm based in Copenhagen, Denmark, serving 374 ports across 116 countries globally.
Port Tampa Bay holds a strategic position as it is closest to the I-4 Corridor. This area hosts Florida's largest concentration of distribution centers with over 550 million square feet stretching from Tampa to Orlando. The port's location allows customers to perform multiple round-trip deliveries daily between the port and their distribution centers (DCs), offering significant savings on truck drayage costs.
In collaboration with Ports America, a partner for container terminal operations, Port Tampa Bay is investing heavily in capacity expansion. Recent developments include the addition of three STS gantry cranes bringing the total number to five. There are also plans for acquiring two more cranes. Furthermore, an expanded state-of-the-art gate complex has been opened along with ongoing paved storage expansion efforts that will extend the container terminal footprint to 100 acres. Construction is soon set to begin on a third deep-water berth and a new on-dock rail-served trans-load warehouse.