We are pleased that you have expressed an interest in Port Panama City & Foreign TradeZone #65. Port Panama City operates in beautiful Bay County in the Florida Panhandle. Strategically located as the northernmost port in the Gulf of Mexico, Port Panama City is a relatively young port established in 1967 with one deep water berth and one 42,000 square foot warehouse. Currently, the Port has grown to six deep water berths consisting of 3,240 linear feet, with 32 foot draft, 600 linear feet of barge facilities, and 470,000 square feet of warehousing space. The Port is efficiently equipped with modem loading and unloading facilities for truck, rail, barge, container, RO-RO vessel and deep water vessel traffic. The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is located adjacent to the Port, and offers intracoastal shipment capability via barge.

The Port in the 1940's

The maritime community of Panama City provides a self-contained infrastructure of services to benefit our many customers. These services are described as follows: longshoremen, steamship agents, freight forwarders , customs brokers, stevedore companies, and an in- house US Customs office. All of these together are fully committed to servicing the maritime community.

Over the years, Port Panama City has established itself as a load center for forestry products. For over 25 years, linerboard and woodpulp have been the #1 commodities moving through the Port. However, during 1997 and 1998, the volumes of steel products exceeded those of forestry. Regardless of the industry being served, quality control (Q/C) is integrated into every step of the various processes--facility design, rate structures, handling methods. From the planning stages to actual production, the customer is assured of high quality standards as observed in our low damage ratio and constantly enforced safety measures. In terms of financial benefits, the Port offers extremely competitive rates, along with efficiently planned facilities to handle and store merchandise.
More recently, imported copper cathodes have become an important commodity for the Port.

FIRST SHIP THROUGH THE PASS

The menu of services at Port Panama City is geared to benefit our customers or industrial park tenants, regardless of their product line or volumes. The advantages and benefits are readily available to those industries expanding or relocating in our area, whether in manufacturing, assembly, or transshipment of commodities in the Port area, or at any of the industrial park sites.

Port Panama City rates among the most economical on the Gulf of Mexico or East Coast region, and combined with the incentives available through FTZ #65, plus Florida’s number one business climate, it represents an attractive alternative to industries seeking to expand or relocate in this part of the State. Our marketing strategies are predicated on the concept of creating jobs through the implementation of personalized services to those companies who use our facilities.

Bay County has three major industrial parks consisting of 560 acres: 1. The Port Panama City Industrial Complex (125 acres); 2.-Hugh Nelson Industrial Park (175 acres); and 3. Bay Industrial Park (260 acres). In addition, the Port Authority is currently developing a new 200 acre Intermodal Distribution Center. Port Panama City prides itself for personalized service, and strives for 100% customer satisfaction. The maritime community of Bay County also adheres to this concept. The total package of services provided by Port Panama City & Foreign Trade Zone #65 can provide significant benefits to both importers and exporters.

We certainly look forward to receiving further inquiries