By Esteban Guerra
Brownsville Navigation District Chairman

On May 16, 1936, communities across the Rio Grande Valley united to celebrate the opening of the Port of Brownsville, the first maritime port for the region. As we observe the port’s 87th anniversary, the Brownsville Navigation District (BND) invites the community to recognize and celebrate the numerous benefits that the maritime industry provides to our region.

A beacon of possibilities during the Great Depression of the 1930s, the port cemented its role as a vital transshipment center for agricultural goods in its earliest days, evolving to serve various industries including the steel, energy, shipbuilding, and space sectors of today.

Making a Deeper Impact in the Region

As the port for the region, in 2022 the Port of Brownsville moved 15.2 million tons o

Company Invests $60 million in Manufacturing Facility at Port of Brownsville

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – May 02, 2023- The Port of Brownsville continues to gain strength in the steel industry as Forza Steel invests $60 million to build its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at the port.

The Mexican company, which specializes in the manufacturing of carbon steel pipe, plans to install equipment in July to begin rolling mill operations.

For over 20 years, Forza Steel has serviced the Mexican and U.S.  steel markets from their manufacturing facility located in Salinas Victoria, Nuevo León. The company selected the Port of Brownsville to enhance operations in the U.S. by getting closer to their customer base to close gaps in the supply chain.

“The Port of Brownsville is the perfect location for Forza Steel’s entry into the American market. The location fr

The Port of Brownsville remains a leader in the movement of wind energy components, thanks to its logistical capabilities and strategic location along the U.S.-Mexico border.

During the first quarter of 2023, five vessels exported wind project cargo to South America, moving more than 80 windmill blades. The blades, manufactured locally by TPI Composites at its facility in Matamoros, Mexico, were transported to the port by truck via the Free Trade International Bridge at Los Indios and securely loaded on to vessels destined for Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru.

As the largest land-owning port in the U.S., the Port of Brownsville tops the nation for its capability of receiving, storing and moving massive components for the wind energy industry, including the largest windmill blades imported to the U.S. at 267-feet long. The port’s specialized equipment and skilled wo

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – April 3, 2023 – The Port of Brownsville, in partnership with the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), and its entire hemispheric membership will commemorate Western Hemisphere Ports Day on April 5. The annual event recognizes the port industry’s role in efficient goods movement, job creation and propelling the economy in nations they serve across the Americas.

This year’s Ports Day theme, Resiliency & Building a Sustainable Future, explores the willpower, adaptability, and drive of the port industry, and how these qualities have continuously navigated this industry through challenging times.

Since 1936, the Port of Brownsville has demonstrated its power as the leading business developer in the region and a thriving economic engine for the Rio Grande Valley.  Currently, the port is undertaking the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Channel Impro

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – March 6, 2023– The first step in Phase 2 of the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Channel Improvement Project is underway as the Port of Brownsville’s dredged material placement area improvement project began in early February.  The historic BIH Channel Improvement project will deepen the 17-mile-long Brownsville ship channel from 42 to 52 feet.

The Brownsville Navigation District (BND) Board of Commissioners at a regular board meeting held Feb. 1, unanimously voted to award a $13.6 million contract for the channel improvements to RLB Contracting, Inc.,  for Placement Areas 5B, 7 and 8. A placement area is a federally authorized disposal site for dredged material.

As part of the dredging process, materials collected are placed in approved disposal sites or for beneficial use purposes. Dredging for Phase 2 is estimated to remove 12 to 16 milli

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – February 6, 2023 – Since its establishment in 1936, the Port of Brownsville has maintained its commitment to serve as the leading maritime port for the Rio Grande Valley and Northern Mexico.

Throughout 2022, more than 15.2 million tons of diverse cargo moved through the port supporting various industries with efficient and reliable logistical services according to unaudited cargo volume reports. This forecast represents a 10.2 percent increase from the 13.8 million tons of cargo recorded in 2021, a new record for the Port of Brownsville.

The skilled workforce at the port has streamlined operations to move essential commodities such as break bulk like steel, and aluminum; liquid bulk petroleum products; project cargo such as wind energy and space industry components; and dry bulk like grains, aggregates, pet coke and cement.

Break bulk co

Throughout 2022, the Port of Brownsville remained resilient and focused on its mission as the leading economic developer in the region through infrastructure expansions and business development to meet growing local and global demands.

Among notable accomplishments, the bellwether announcement was the historic Brazos Island Harbor Channel Improvement (BIH) project signing ceremony to establish the joint agreement between the Brownsville Navigation District and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Phase 2 of the BIH project.

The agreement advances the project’s timeline to begin work on deepening the 17-mile-long ship channel from 42 feet to 52 feet, resulting in significant navigational safety improvements for commercial shipping in South Texas.

Exciting projects in progress and on the horizon at the Port of Brownsville  provide a favorable outlook for a productive and trans

When the Port of Brownsville first opened in May 1936, many people celebrated the promise of economic opportunities that would bring them closer to the American dream.

Richard “Dick” Ostos was one of those individuals, coming to Brownsville from New York in 1936 to work for Philen-Miller, a steamship agent and stevedore company that brought the first vessel to the newly minted port of the Rio Grande Valley.

Over a decade later in 1947, Dick embarked on that opportunity and founded DIX Shipping Company-Shipping Agents and Stevedores at the Port of Brownsville. Thanks to his entrepreneurial spirit, resilience and dedication, that company celebrates its 75^th anniversary this year.

Dick’s legacy of contributions to the port was commemorated by the Brownsville Navigation District in 1996, when the road on the south side of the Brownsville ship channel was renamed R.L

Editor’s Note: This article is featured in the latest edition of the Port of Brownsville Directory. Click HERE to view directory or to request a copy.

After years of effort, planning and success, the Port of Brownsville is ready to begin one of its most important infrastructure projects to date, the Brazos Island Harbor (BIH) Channel Improvement Project. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Congress have authorized the deepening of the port’s channel from 42 feet to 52 feet. The project may cost upwards of $300 million and construction, divided into two phases, is expected to commence at the end of 2022. Deepening the port’s channel means bigger ships, more cargo, and more jobs for the Rio Grande Valley.

The port expects to pay for the project with a combinat

BY TAD THOMPSON/ American Journal of Transportation

Texas’ seaports enjoy a variety of project cargo. That’s a broad industry category. Along Texas’ Gulf Coast, though, there are a couple dominant trades.

Components for commercial wind turbines is the largest project cargo for ports in Brownsville and Galveston.

At the Port of Brownsville, the largest single project cargo category is components for commercial wind turbines, according to Eduardo Campirano, CEO and port director.

Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, indicates that in 2021, the Port of Galveston set a record for wind turbine cargo, importing 3,172 turbine pieces with a total weight of 212,000 tons. As a result, wind project cargo is a top revenue and jobs generator at the port.

“Project cargo, particularly wind turbine components, makes up a large share of the Port of Galves