Tampa, Florida

====Seaports====
{{main|Port Tampa Bay}}

[[File:Tugboat pushes a barge at Port of Tampa.jpg|right|thumb|A tugboat pushes a barge at the Port of Tampa.]]
The Port of Tampa is the largest port in Florida in throughput tonnage, making it one of the busiest commercial ports in North America.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flaports.org/Sub_Content3.aspx?id=26&pid=3 |title=Tampa Port Authority |publisher=Flaports.org |access-date=December 9, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235300/http://www.flaports.org/Sub_Content3.aspx?id=26&pid=3 |archive-date=December 2, 2013}}</ref> Petroleum and phosphate are the lead commodities, accounting for two-thirds of the 37 million tons of total bulk and general cargo handled by the port in 2009.<ref>[http://www.tampaport.com/content/download/10824/46091/file/FY09_Total%20Port.pdf "Total Port, Port of Tampa, Florida: FY09 vs FY08", November 16, 2009.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120419090902/http://www.tampaport.com/content/download/10824/46091/file/FY09_Total%20Port.pdf |date=April 19, 2012 }} [http://www.tampaport.com/ ''Tampa Port Authority''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070907173050/http://www.tampaport.com/ |date=September 7, 2007 }}. Retrieved January 28, 2010.</ref> The port is also home to Foreign Trade Zone #79, which assists companies in Tampa Bay and along the I-4 Corridor in importing, exporting, manufacturing, and distribution activities as part of the United States foreign trade zone program.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tampaftz.com/ |title=Foreign Trade Zone No. 79 – Foreign Trade Zone Regulationsr |work=tampaftz.com |access-date=January 16, 2017 |archive-date=January 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115205847/http://www.tampaftz.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Weekly containerized cargo service is available in the Port of Tampa. Cargo service is offered by Ports America, Zim American Integrated Shipping Company, and MSC which has recently partnered with Zim. 3,000 to 4,250 TEU containerships regularly call the Port of Tampa.

The bay bottom is very sandy, with the [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] constantly dredging the ship channels to keep them navigable to large cargo ships.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://baysoundings.com/spring03/dredge.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203182803/http://baysoundings.com/spring03/dredge.html|url-status=dead|title=RUNNING OUT OF ROOM? Dredged Material Poses Challenges|archivedate=December 3, 2008}}</ref>