BROWNSVILLE, Texas, June 26, 2025 – The Port of Brownsville has received the 19th annual Rodolfo Garza Export Merit Award from COMCE Noreste, recognizing the port’s outstanding performance building strong export partnerships with Mexico.

The award was presented Tuesday, June 17, during COMCE Noreste’s 64th Ordinary General Assembly at the Industrial Club in Monterrey, Mexico. Accepting the honor on behalf of the port were William Dietrich, Port Director and CEO, and Guillermo Rico, Director of Business Development and Marketing.

This recognition highlights the Port of Brownsville’s critical role as a gateway for exports to Mexico, supporting commerce between the United States and its southern neighbor. Handling millions of tons of cargo annually, the port is a major transshipment hub for refined petroleum products, grains, aggregates, among other commodities, reaching more than 12 Mexican states. As the largest U.S. exporter of steel into Mexico, the Port of Brownsville connects Texas industries with key markets throughout northeastern Mexico.

“This award reflects the Port of Brownsville’s longstanding commitment to strengthening international trade and driving economic development across the region,” said Port Director and CEO William Dietrich. “Our partnerships with Mexico are essential to our mission of facilitating global commerce and expanding the binational supply chain.”

In 2024, the Port of Brownsville achieved a record-breaking 28 million tons of cargo moved, representing a 57% increase over the 17.8 million tons handled in 2023. Additionally, Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 at the port continues to rank among the nation’s top FTZs, ranking third in the nation with $7 billion in export value.

The Port of Brownsville continues to attract nearshoring investments, with Forza Steel completing an $85 million, 650,000-square-foot facility and Ternium building a $200 million development that includes a marine terminal. The terminal is expected to increase the port’s steel and metal cargo volume to more than 9 million tons a year.

Established in 1996, the Rodolfo Garza Export Merit Award encourages the growth of export culture in northeastern Mexico and honors companies and institutions that demonstrate excellence in foreign trade. The award is named in honor of Rodolfo González Garza, founder of the Monterrey Export Promotion Association and a pioneer in advancing Mexico’s export industry. Previous recipients include Cemex, Cuauhtémoc-Moctezuma Brewery, NEMAK, and Vitro Crisa.

With continued investments in infrastructure, facilities, and services, the Port of Brownsville is well positioned to meet the evolving needs of its customers and solidify its role as a premier logistics and industrial center for North America.

About the Port of Brownsville

The Port of Brownsville is the only deep-water seaport directly on the U.S.-Mexico border and encompasses 40,000 acres – the largest land-owning public port authority in the country. The port transships more steel into Mexico than any other U.S. port and is home to premier energy, shipbuilding, and ship recycling industries. It ranks No. 41 among the Top 150 U.S. maritime ports for waterborne cargo, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

As the major multimodal transportation hub serving the Rio Grande Valley and northern Mexico, the Port of Brownsville supports investment opportunities and jobs. Activity at the port is responsible for adding more than $1 billion to the Rio Grande Valley regional economy and more than $12 billion to the Texas economy, and the creation of more than 66,000 jobs statewide. For more information, visit www.portofbrownsville.com

The Port of Brownsville is a major transshipment hub for refined petroleum products, grains, aggregates, among other commodities, supporting industries located in more than 12 Mexican states. It is also the largest U.S. exporter of steel into Mexico.

Guillermo Rico, Director of Business Development and Marketing, left, and William Dietrich, Port Director and CEO, received the recognition during COMCE Noreste’s 64th Ordinary General Assembly held June 17 in Monterrey, Mexico.