BROWNSVILLE, Texas — August 11, 2026 — The Port of Brownsville continues strengthening its position as a driving force behind the Rio Grande Valley’s economic future.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright met Tuesday, Aug. 4, with the Brownsville Navigation District Board of Commissioners and port leadership at the Port of Brownsville Administrative Office for an industry roundtable alongside elected officials, industry and education partners, as well as key stakeholders.
Highlighting the port’s role in liquefied natural gas exports, SpaceX operations and the first new major U.S. oil refinery built in more than 50 years, Wright touted growth for the region.
“In the simplest terms, I’d say, the Trump administration’s goal is to build big things in America again,” said Wright. “Leaning in on our energy industry, road energy production in this country, use that energy, power global industries, as receiving, spring up, and growth, to scale around Brownsville, and export that energy to our friends and allies all around the world. We are thrilled to see the range of large projects, the major investments in job creation going around the Brownsville.”
Wright also took a boat tour of the Brownsville ship channel to see firsthand the operations and developments bringing thousands of good-paying jobs to our communities, underscoring the port’s longstanding role in the nation’s energy sector and its rapidly rising prominence as a hub for advanced manufacturing, energy investment and infrastructure.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright (center) meets with the Brownsville Navigation District Board of Commissioners and port leadership during an industry roundtable at the Port of Brownsville on Tuesday, Aug. 4, alongside elected officials, industry and education partners, and other key stakeholders.
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 100,000 jobs statewide. For more information visit www.portofbrownsville.com
