Despite being 50 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, the Port of Houston is a world center of waterborne commerce. With sophisticated cargo handling systems and a strategic location at the confluence of major rail, truck and air transportation systems, the Port is positioned to serve international industries.

The Port of Houston is made up of the Port of Houston Authority and the 150-plus private industrial companies along the Houston Ship Channel. All together, the port authority and its neighbors along the ship channel are a large and vibrant component to our regional economy.

The port is ranked first in the United States in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in the U.S. in total tonnage, and is the seventh largest container port in the U.S. An estimated total of 225 million tons of cargo moved through the Port of Houston in 2008. A total of 8,058 vessel calls were recorded at the Port of Houston during the year 2008. 

The Port of Houston has an impressive listing of firsts, from unloading the world's first container ship to becoming the country's first port to meet the rigid ISO 14001 environmental standards. Click here to view the complete list.

Among Gulf of Mexico ports, the Port of Houston is the leader in containerized cargo.  In 2008, it handled more than 1.8 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units).

Total value of foreign trade through the Port in '08 is estimated at $150.3 billion, up 2.5 percent from ‘07. Leading import partners by value in '08 were Mexico, Saudi Arabia, China, Germany and Venezuela; Leading export partners by value in ’08 were Mexico, Brazil, Netherlands, Venezuela and Belgium.

Leading import commodities by value include petroleum and petroleum products, iron and steel, machinery and organic chemicals; leading export commodities by value include petroleum and petroleum products, machinery chemical products and plastic resin.

Overall, the public cargo and cruise vessel marine terminals operated by the Port of Houston contribute 785,000 jobs throughout Texas, generating more than $39 billion in personal income and generating more than $117 billion in state-wide economic value, according to an independent 2006 market study.

In February 2003, Houston became one of only four New York Board of Trade-certified green coffee exchange ports in the United States.

More than 100 lines offer service linking Houston with 1,000 ports in 200 countries. It is also home to a $15 billion petrochemical complex, the largest in the nation and second largest in the world.

The Port of Houston is one of the fastest growing ports in the U.S. because of its central location and ease of access.  It is a catalyst of economic development in the Houston region.

Source: Port of Houston, Greater Houston Partnership