Port Manatee’s dynamic growth as a vibrant cargo gateway continues, with the Florida Gulf port reporting a 36 percent year-over-year increase in containerized cargo handled in the first half of its fiscal year.

During the six-month period from October 1, 2015, through March 31, 2016, Port Manatee docks saw moves of 12,653 TEU, up from 9,321 TEU in the comparable year-earlier fiscal half. Import TEUs led the way, increasing 40 percent, to 7,398 TEU from 5,291 TEU.

The favorable results for the first half of the port’s 2016 fiscal year come on the heels of an 83-percent rise in TEUs handled in the fiscal year ended September 30, 2015, compared with the preceding fiscal year.

“With World Direct Shipping increasing imports of refrigerated produce in its weekly service from Mexico, as well as consistent inbound shipments by longtime tenant Fresh Del Monte Produce, Port Manatee is extending a positive trend in the container sector,” said Carlos Buqueras, Port Manatee’s executive director. “As we successfully advance our diversification strategy, we are seeing meaningful gains in overall tonnage moving through the port.”

In the six-month period from October 1, 2015, through March 31, 2016, Port Manatee handled 3.3 million tons of cargo, up 5.7 percent from the comparable earlier year. The increase was propelled by the handling of additional project cargo and substantial gains in the liquid bulk sector, including diesel, gasoline, ethanol and asphalt. The primary contributing factor was the fuel supply agreement inked in late 2015 with RaceTrac Petroleum Inc.

Port Manatee is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanding Panama Canal, with 10 40-foot-draft berths serving container, bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers.