Vol. 7, No. 4 September 2022

Windmill blades are among the top commodities moving through the Port of Brownsville's Foreign Trade Zone No. 62. These colossal components are transported via vessel, barge, rail and truck to wind energy projects across North America. 

International Trade Booming at the Port

 

Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 Reclaims Number 2 Ranking in the U.S. for the Value of Exports 

Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 (FTZ) at the Port of Brownsville recorded an increase of 28% for the total value of exports in 2021, surpassing the $5 billion mark for the first time.


According to the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board’s 2021 report to Congress released on August 29, FTZ No. 62 ranks second in the country with $5.2 billion in exported goods in 2021, an increase from the $4.1 billion reported in 2020.


The port’s FTZ has consistently ranked in the top three for exports out of 193 FTZs nationwide since 2012. Additionally, FTZ No. 62 ranks 20th in the nation for the value of imports totaling $4.5 billion.


"This continued upward trend for our foreign trade zone is a reflection of the port’s growth and commitment to be the leading multimodal logistics hub in the Rio Grande Valley," said Eduardo A. Campirano, Port Director, and CEO. "Our infrastructure expansion at the port supports FTZ No. 62, contributing to economic opportunities for a successful future for the region."


Top commodities moved through FTZ No. 62 in 2021 were petroleum products, machinery, iron, steel, textiles, footwear, leather goods and fiber materials. FTZ No. 62 includes the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport, Valley International Airport, Harlingen Industrial Park and Airpark, NAFTA Industrial Park, and FINSA Industrial Park at Los Indios. 

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is an opportunity for communities to thank truck drivers for their hard work and commitment to one of the economy's most demanding and vital jobs. 

Celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

The Port of Brownsville will join organizations across the country in celebrating National Truck Driver Appreciation Week from September 11-17, 2022. 


National Truck Driver Appreciation Week provides communities the opportunity to show gratitude to the 3.6 million professional men and women who not only deliver our goods safely, securely, and on time, but also keep our highways safe.


The Port of Brownsville is partnering with the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority to honor truck drivers at the port with events throughout the week.


In 2021, the port registered 438,000 truck movements representing an average of 1,200 truck movements per day. These truck drivers are tasked with the transportation of essential cargo like steel, wind energy components, refined petroleum products, grains, cement, and other commodities to support our way of life.

Courtesy of ISL

A tugboat vessel is the latest donation by International Shipbreaking Ltd. to expand the largest artificial reef in the Gulf of Mexico. 

ISL/EMR Helps Grow Artificial Reef

International Shipbreaking Ltd.(ISL), is continuing its partnership with Friends of RGV Reef, a community environmental group that is creating a series of marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico, 13 miles off South Padre Island, Texas. 


Since 2019, International Shipbreaking has supported Friends of RGV Reef by donating time and equipment to assist in loading artificial reef materials. The company's latest contribution to the artificial reef is a decommissioned tugboat, which will be decontaminated at the ISL facility and then sunk to create a home for the growing population of red snapper and other important marine life. 


"Every member of the International Shipbuilding team is pleased to continue our partnership with Friends of RGV Reef, creating artificial reefs and helping a key species such as the red snapper to thrive once more," said International Shipbreaking President Chris Green.


"As one of the world’s leading recyclers, the EMR Group is committed to passing on a better, more sustainable world to the next generation. Supporting an important project that safeguards the Gulf of Mexico’s rich biodiversity is an essential part of that goal," he said.

The 600-foot former cargo ship arrived at the Port of Brownsville Aug. 19 from the Port of Pensacola where it had been undergoing a retrofitting to serve as a landing platform for the first stage of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.

Blue Origin's Jacklyn Arrives at the Port

The Blue Origin vessel Jacklyn completed her final voyage on Aug. 19, arriving at the Port of Brownsville from the Port of Pensacola for recycling by Bay Bridge Texas, a marine recycling company at the port.


Blue Origin is an aerospace company started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The Jacklyn, named after Bezos’ mother, is a 600-foot former cargo ship retrofitted to serve as a landing platform for the company’s rockets.


The Port of Brownsville is the premier ship recycling port in the United States, capturing more than 85 percent of the nation’s ship recycling business. Each recycling project represents good-paying jobs for hundreds of industrial workers while providing an environmentally friendly supply of high-quality steel scrap and other valuable metals in great demand by both domestic and foreign steel markets.


All Star Metals Awarded 

USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin


In August, All Star Metals announced the contract to recycle the USNS 1st Lt. Harry L. Martin, the only vessel of its class. At 754-feet-long, this vessel was initially built as a container ship and served in the Military Sealift Command in April 2000. 


This ship recycling project is estimated to bring numerous employment opportunities to All Star Metals' shipyard, contributing to the regional economy. 

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
www.portofbrownsville.com
CALENDAR

September 7

BND Board Meeting


September 11

Patriot Day


September 11 -17

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week 


September 11-14

NAFTZ Conference -Miami


September 16

Mexican Independence Day 


September 18-20

Fast Markets Transport Symposium

 

September 21

BND Board Meeting  

 

September 22

Fall Season Begins  


September 27-29

Breakbulk Americas- Houston

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