In an annual state of the port address, officials of the Port of Brownsville in Texas reported nearly $24 million in revenue for 2017–topping the previous record of $19.9 million.
Tonnage was also up, with the volume of cargo having topped 10.3 million short tons. Contributing factors, according to BND Commission Secretary Sergio Tito Lopez and Commissioners Carlos Masso and Ralph Cowen, are a variety of new businesses entering the port. These businesses included CSC Sugar/Sugaright, West Plains LLC, SteelCoast and Texan Cement. Further, they addressed the $1.5 billion Valley Crossing Pipeline project currently set to proceed through the region, as well as the renovation and expansion of the port’s administration facilities.
“Just because we have always done things in a certain way, doesn’t mean there’s not room for improvement, aimed at advancing the everyday lives of those living in Brownsville, Cameron County, and the Rio Grande Valley. And that is what we intend to,” Brownsville Navigation District Vice Chairman John Reed said.
With new tenants has also come new vessel traffic. The port saw a 21 percent increase in vessels in 2017. The local stakeholders aren’t the only ones recognizing the port’s capabilities and records, though. The U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board reported to Congress that in 2016, Brownsville was second in the nation for the value of its exports–a $2.8 billion value.