New Year, New Projects, More Opportunities

Welcome 2025! Last year was great for us and for our port community, and we’ll continue to be the voice of our port region.  As we all know, the ports of Freeport, Galveston, Houston, and Texas City, are central to Texas’ and the nation’s economic and logistical infrastructure, playing key roles in the global shipping network. Together, these ports handle a significant portion of the nation’s imports and exports, particularly in the energy, petrochemical, and manufacturing industries. The year 2024 also marked another period of growth, innovation, and investment for these critical ports, with significant accomplishments across different sectors, from a record breaking 380+ cruise ships out of Galveston (with more than 1.7 million passengers), to strong numbers at the Port Houston container terminals, and an overall 5% increase in total tonnage across all public facilities.

While all this was happening, we successfully led advocacy campaigns in DC and Austin, discussing dredging operations, two-way vessel traffic during construction and after completion of the Bolivar Gates, and to ensure the federal and state governments provide adequate funding to the maintenance and operation of the Houston Ship Channel. I had the honor to testify at the Texas House Transportation Committee hearing and provided a brief to the Houston Public Safety Committee, discussing the importance of the Houston Ship Channel to the city, the state and to the nation. We also participated in meetings with Governor Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick’s staff to address our needs, and Port Bureau members attended the Texas Triangle/Panama Strategic meeting in Panama City to strengthen our partnerships and to make trade routes more efficient for commerce, especially in energy and industrial export.

Project 11

The Houston Ship Channel saw tremendous progress in 2024 as part of the ongoing Project 11 expansion initiative. Project 11 aims to deepen and widen the Ship Channel to accommodate the larger vessels being used in global trade, particularly those in the post-Panamax category. By the end of 2024, the Channel was significantly wider, allowing for the passage of larger container ships, tankers, and bulk carriers. This project will also allow reduced vessel congestion and waiting times, boosting operational efficiency, and is expected to lead to even more significant economic benefits in the coming years. The enhanced capacity will allow the port to handle larger volumes of goods, supporting Texas’ robust petrochemical industry and facilitating trade with global markets, particularly in Asia and Europe.  We are all super excited about the future, and we are already having conversations about what will be our next step - Project 12. 

Cruise Ships

Galveston continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with passenger numbers returning to pre-pandemic levels and beyond! As I mentioned above, in 2024, Galveston broke records for cruise passenger arrivals, positioning the port as a key cruise hub in the Gulf of Mexico (or Gulf of America). Later this year, they will open Cruise Terminal 16 and will welcome MSC Cruises to the port. The terminal is forecast to generate close to 1,000 local jobs, with $58 million in income and $21 million in local purchases. They are moving in the right direction, and I encourage you to stop by to see how much they have expanded and consider taking your family on a cruise out of Galveston!

 As we move into 2025, I would like you to join us at one of our numerous events, aimed at strengthening relationships within the Houston region port community. We had over 3,700 attendees at our networking events such our Commerce Club luncheons, Port 101seminars, Women in Maritime Happy Hours and Port Bureau Connect Happy Hour last year.  You can also join our social media to keep track of our initiatives and events and see how much we have to share with our 14,000+ subscribers. The future remains bright for our ports, with numerous opportunities to build on our accomplishments and further solidify our position as one of the best in the world. See you around!

 #myportcommunityisbetterthanyours

About the Author 

CAPT Eric Carrero, USCG (Ret.), joined the Greater Houston Port Bureau as president on July 1, 2023. He has 26 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard, with experience in international affairs, port and vessel operations, and serving in the Sector Houston-Galveston from 2013-2021. CAPT Carrero holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Puerto Rico and a master’s degree in environmental management and policy from the American Public University System.