Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Consistently setting new records, the Port of Brownsville continues to gain national prominence among the leading maritime ports in the United States.
According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ most recent annual report ranking 150 maritime ports nationwide, the Port of Brownsville rose to 55th position in the country for the movement of waterborne cargo in 2021, a significant leap from 66th place in 2020.
Throughout 2021, 8.9 million tons of cargo were transported via the port’s waterways, representing a 30% increase from 2020’s 6.7 million tons. During that same period, traffic at the port recorded robust vessel activity with 1,854 vessel calls in 2021, signaling a 10.9% increase from the previous year’s total of 1,671.
“The Port of Brownsville has arrived, and we’ve been here for a while. We’re starting to see the incremental impact that continued growth has had in the region, our community, and the whole state of Texas,” said Port Director and CEO Eduardo A. Campirano. “We are proud of this accomplishment, and thankful to our business partners that have helped us reach these metrics.”
This upward trend is reflected in the unaudited cargo volumes for 2022, as the 9.9 million tons of waterborne cargo accounted for more than half of the 15.2 million tons of overall cargo transported at the port this past year.
Strategically positioned at the crossroads of major shipping lanes that connect the United States to Mexico and beyond, the port serves as a critical gateway for international trade.
Currently the port’s 42-foot deepwater ship channel and cargo-handling facilities allow it to accommodate a wide variety of vessels and cargoes, including containerized cargo, bulk commodities, and heavy-lift project cargo.
Additionally, the port handles a variety of commodities including steel, wind energy components, and liquid bulk products. The port’s plan to deepen the channel to 52 feet will propel the port further in the global marketplace, allowing it to handle larger vessels and increasing cargo volumes.
The Port of Brownsville’s strategic location, modern facilities, and strong economic impact make it a critical player in the global shipping industry and a vital component of the United States’ trade infrastructure.
About the Port of Brownsville
The Port of Brownsville is the only deep-water seaport directly on the U.S.-Mexico border, and the largest land-owning public port authority in the nation with 40,000 acres of land. It transships more steel into Mexico than any other U.S. port. As the major multimodal transportation hub serving the Rio Grande Valley and northern Mexico, the Port of Brownsville supports investment opportunities and jobs. Activity at the port is responsible for adding $2.6 billion to the regional economy, $3 billion to the Texas economy, and for the creation of more than 51,000 jobs statewide. For more information, visit www.portofbrownsville.com
