Vol. 5, No. 3, August 2020
The Port of Brownsville was spared damages as Hurricane Hanna impacted South Texas on Saturday, July 25, as a category 1 hurricane with sustained winds of up to 90 mph.
Preparation Pays Off
as Hanna Blows Past
In anticipation of Hurricane Hannah, the Port of Brownsville advised all port tenants to take necessary preparations for potentially hazardous weather expected from the storm. In an abundance of caution, sandbags were distributed to port tenants in anticipation of heavy rainfall.

Both the SH 550 and Foust Road gates remained in service during normal operational hours, as Port of Brownsville operations teams monitored weather conditions.

As a precautionary measure, U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Commander Tony Hahn, ordered the Port Condition Zulu.

During Port Condition Zulu, the port is closed to all vessel traffic with the exception of vessel traffic specifically authorized by the Captain of the Port. The closure remained in effect Sunday, July 26 while damage assessments were evaluated. Routine port operations resumed after the U.S. Coast Guard inspected the ship channel and deemed it safe for normal activities.
Trucks crossing the border to and from the port benefit from a Overweight corridor allowing them to load to the legal limits to Mexico – 125,000 pounds (45,000 pounds heavier than domestic limits).
Editor’s Note: This article is featured in the new edition of the Port of Brownsville Directory.
Trade with Mexico
Continues to Grow
The Port of Brownsville’s proximity to Mexico, Latin America’s second largest economy, uniquely positions the port as the nation’s key transshipment gateway delivering goods and commodities to nearby multinational manufacturing centers on both sides of the border. 

Ranking among the top U.S. steel ports, the Port of Brownsville moves more steel into Mexico than any other domestic competitor. In 2019, the port moved 3.2 million short tons of steel across the southern border. 

Nearby Monterrey is a major industrial center in northern Mexico with a metropolitan population of nearly five million and home to dozens of commonly recognized international corporations. Monterrey is located 200 miles due west from the Port of Brownsville, where steel makers have come to rely upon the logistical efficiencies provided by the port. Convenient border crossings are located just seven miles from the port by truck and 13 miles by railroad. 

In fact, the Port of Brownsville is more than 
100 miles closer to Monterrey than the nearest Mexican port. 
Supporting Clean Energy in the RGV
This month, watch as the port launches its latest community outreach campaign.

In this video, Brownsville Navigation District Commissioner John Wood connects the power of the port to the Rio Grande Valley's sustainable wind energy.

The commercials are slated to air through the end of October 2020.
NextDecade Aims to Reduce CO2e Emissions
NextDecade Corporation announced in July that it is optimizing its Rio Grande LNG project (RGLNG) proposed at the Port of Brownsville.

Throughout the course of its pre-final investment decision (FID) development activities, NextDecade has worked diligently to reduce the environmental impacts of RGLNG.

The original front-end engineering and design for RGLNG was based on six LNG trains each capable of producing 4.5 million metric tonnes per annum (mtpa) of LNG for export. The technologies that were selected and filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2015 and 2016 have evolved over the five-year permitting period; the LNG trains are now more efficient and will produce more LNG with lower total carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions. Multiple optimizations have been identified that will lead to the delivery of a world-class LNG project capable of producing 27 mtpa with just five LNG trains instead of six.
Watch NextDecade's digital simulation of a typical LNG vessel’s journey through the Brownsville Ship Channel to the proposed Rio Grande LNG facility.
Understanding LNG Vessel Safety
In 2019, NextDecade agreed to privately fund a significant portion of the Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement project.

This project will include deepening the channel from the outer jetties to the western end of the proposed Rio Grande LNG property, as well as the development of two-ship berths and a turning basin for the Rio Grande LNG facility.

NextDecade, owner of the Rio Grande LNG, will also fund the easing of the Channel bend close to the entrance of the Brownsville Ship Channel to improve navigational safety.

These improvements will benefit existing Port of Brownsville tenants and enhance future development of the port. 
BROWNSVILLE NAVIGATION DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS

Chairman

Vice-Chairman

Secretary

Commissioner

Commissioner
PORT OF BROWNSVILLE ADMINISTRATION

Port Director & CEO


Contact Us:
Ph:  956.831.4592 / 800.378.5395
Fax:  956.831.5006
CALENDAR
August 12  
BND Board Meeting 
 
September 2
BND Board Meeting

September 7
Labor Day - Port Offices Closed

September 11
 Patriot Day

September 13-19
 National Truck Driver Appreciation Week  

September 16
 BND Board Meeting  

September 16
 Mexican Independence Day  

September 22
 Fall Season Begins  
The newest edition of the Port of Brownsville's award winning directory is available now!

You can read the full digital version on our  website , or follow the link to request a free mail-in copy.
Texas' International
Trade
Editor's Note: This article was originally featured at www.comptroller.texas.gov. Click on the link to read the complete article.
With the nation’s longest stretch of international border and some of its busiest ports, Texas benefits enormously from global trade.

Our state has led the nation in exports for 17 consecutive years. In 2019, Texas exported products worth $328.9 billion, according to the International Trade Administration (ITA). Exports represent about 17.4 percent of Texas’ gross state product (GSP) — the second-highest share of any state and more than double the U.S. average.
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