A new shipping line that will call on the port every 10 days is expected to boost sagging revenues, Port Manatee officials announced Thursday. Fort Lauderdale-based HySea Shipping has selected Port Manatee for its new container and breakbulk cargo service between Port Manatee and Puerto Cortes, Honduras.
Automobiles, heavy equipment and trucks will be among the cargo the shipping line will transport, said HySea officials. The service is expected to begin Jan. 22.
"After extensive research and analysis, we selected Port Manatee over other Florida ports because it is the best fit for our company and our growing customer base," said HySea Shipping owner Mark Jordan in a company statement. "Port Manatee offers excellent intermodal advantages and we anticipate increasing our service to weekly calls as our volumes continue to grow."
Port authority members were given the news of the new contract at their regular Thursday meeting. The new shipping line is welcome news for port officials who have been grappling with declining revenues, mostly due to the drop off in imported construction materials because of the housing collapse.
Port Manatee is still below the revenue threshold it needs to maintain to satisfy covenants of its bond agreements, the port’s executive director, David McDonald, told authority members.
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