In the first nine months of 2018, the Port of Corpus Christi has set a new record for tonnage moved, shifting around 79.3 million tons and heavily surpassing the former tonnage record.
The previous record was set in 2015 at 77.9 million tons. The Port of Corpus Christi gain also marks a 5 percent — or 4 million ton — gain over the same period in 2017. The Port contributes this, by and large, to increases in crude oil and other petroleum products, which saw 11 percent and 8 percent gains, respectively. Such increases have also spurred the Port to request the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers swiftly dredge the ship channel from 47 feet to 54 feet and widen it to 530 feet.
“The record-setting tonnage supports the critical need for continued investment in infrastructure,” Charles W. Zahn, Jr., chairman of the Port of Corpus Christi Commission, said. “The Port of Corpus Christi takes pride in ushering in these developments in an environmentally responsible manner. This Channel Improvement Project absolutely will benefit the economy of the Coastal Bend, Texas, and the United States.”