PORT OF BEAUMONT RANKED 7TH IN TONNAGE

The Port of Beaumont was ranked seventh in foreign trade among United States ports, according to data reported by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The same report shows Beaumont tenth in total trade, which includes foreign and domestic commerce, and 20th in domestic trade.

The Corps of Engineers' Navigation Data Center report, which was released this month, lists tonnage and ranking for the top 35 U.S. ports for 1998, the last year for which statistics are available. According to the Corps, the Port of Beaumont handled 60,051,844 tons of total trade in 1998. Foreign trade was 43,413,721 tons and domestic trade was 16,638123 tons. Foreign trade includes import and export cargo and domestic trade is commerce between United States ports.

The majority of the traffic included in the Corps' figures was bulk liquid cargo such as crude oil, refined products such as gasoline, and chemicals. The Corps includes all public and private marine terminals in its statistics.

According to the report, total waterborne commerce in the United States reached a record 2.34 billion tons in 1998. The Port of South Louisiana was ranked first in total tonnage, followed by Houston and New York.

The Corps defines the Port of Beaumont as 20 miles of the Neches River from the mouth of the river near the Rainbow Bridge to Trinity Industries near downtown Beaumont. Included in this section of the river are several large refineries and bulk terminals, plus the public docks operated by the Port of Beaumont Navigation District.

The Corps' report ranks the Port of Beaumont ahead of several large ports such as Long Beach, Los Angeles, Portland, OR, Seattle, WA and Boston, in terms of total cargo handled.

Bill Masters, port director, said the high ranking of the Port of Beaumont in the Corps report demonstrates the importance of the proposed channel improvements to the Sabine-Neches Waterway. The Port of Beaumont has taken the lead among local agencies in pledging funding for the local share of a feasibility study undertaken by the Corps of Engineers to study the need for deepening and widening the ship channel.

"The Corps' ranking of the Port of Beaumont as seventh in foreign trade and tenth in total commerce is further evidence of the importance of waterborne commerce in southeast Texas and the vital need for channel improvements to keep the port competitive" Masters said.

The local share of the study, which could take up to five years to complete, is $3.5 million. Officials of the Corps are finalizing the funding agreements with local sponsors in preparation for beginning the feasibility study.

January 28, 2000

For more information, contact John Roby, Port of Beaumont, 409/835-5367

For the complete Corps of Engineers report, see their Website at www.wrsc.usace.army.mil/ndc/wcporton.htm