New Tampa Bay Cargo Shipment Service

Naviera Master Line selects Port Manatee for new container & breakbulk service to Caribbean, Central & South American destinations.

Expected to commence with a sailing from Port Manatee Mar. 8, 2013, Naviera Master Line, a division of Miami-based Master Line Shipping Company, will transport a variety of breakbulk and containerized cargo from Port Manatee to destinations in Colombia, Panama, Venezuela and Trinidad.

“For the targeted business we have with Central Florida auctions, like Alex Lyon & Son, CAT, Ritchie Bros. and Yoder & Frey, Port Manatee is the closest port to Orlando and a very strategic port to the countries that we serve,” commented Naviera Master Line President Juan Carlos Esquivel. “It’s all about location.”

Manatee County Port Authority Chairman Carol Whitmore praised the announcement. “This is the type of business that generates new jobs for the people of our community and we look forward to a lasting relationship with Naviera Master Line,” Whitmore said.

Typical cargoes will include oversize and heavy construction equipment and a variety of containerized cargoes destined for Cristobal, Panama; Cartagena and Barranquilla, Colombia; Maracaibo, Puerto Cabello, La Guaira and Guanta, Venezuela; and La Brea, Trinidad.

“We look forward to officially welcoming Naviera Master Line and we plan to actively promote the new service to Florida shippers and overseas companies,” said Port Manatee Executive Director Carlos Buqueras.

Port Manatee is located at the entrance to Tampa Bay and is among Florida’s largest deepwater seaports. For more information about Port Manatee, visit