Gioia Tauro is the largest transshipment terminal in Italy and one of the most important container traffic hubs in the Mediterranean basin. Overlooking the Lower Tyrrhenian Sea, it is in a central position respect to the intercontinental routes that cross the Mediterranean basin, as well as in a median position along the Suez - Gibraltar route. The port infrastructure, classified as category II - class I of international importance, is equipped with infrastructures and means that allow it to accommodate transoceanic ships in transit in the Mediterranean and capable of handling any product category.
The port district falls within the municipalities of Gioia Tauro and San Ferdinando. The port has a channel configuration. It spread over 620 hectares, 440 of which are intended for the terminal and 180 for the sea. The entrance, located to the south, has an opening of 300 meters above average sea level. The evolution basin is circular, with a diameter of 750 meters. The depth of the seabed varies between minus 14.5 and minus 18 meters. At the north end, there is a further evolution basin of 450 meters in diameter. The width of the channel is 250 meters above the sea level. The operational spaces are also of absolute importance: it has 5130 meters of docks 3395 of which are located along the east side, 815 along the north side and 920 meters to the west for RoRo units. The port area has a total size of approximately 1 million and 800 thousand sq.m. To the south, there is a dock for mooring boats used for port services and fishing and pleasure activities, equipped with docks 243 meters long. In the port there is a container terminal, in concession to the Med Center Container Terminal, which has service area for the storage and handling of containers equal to 1 million and 500 thousand sq.m, and a terminal for car transshipment, along the north side of the canal which extends for about 280 square meters. The SEZ area of the port of Gioia Tauro is made up of the "maritime state-owned areas, the port works and the opposite water spaces included in the stretch of coast that runs from the beginning of the seafront of the municipality of San Ferdinando, coinciding with the point where the existing port fence arrives on the coast, at the root of the breakwater south of the port” (Ministerial Decree 4 August 1998). Waters are excluded. The area size included in the SEZ perimeter corresponds to approximately 402 ha.