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 Improvement Project to deepen the 17-mile-long Brownsville ship channel from 42 to 52 feet. Deepening the channel will provide increased navigational safety improvements for commercial shipping in South Texas and support the expansion of industries and while attracting new economic opportunities.

American seaports are propelling job-creation and economic growth at a blistering speed. According to the AAPA, ports sustain 31 million jobs and generate economic activity representing 26 percent of the U.S. economy. Each year, $2.2 trillion in freight moves through U.S. ports; ports drive $378.1 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue; and consumers spend $139.2 billion on products that move through ports.

The Port of Brownsville is transforming the Rio Grande Valley by creating positive investment opportunities and jobs. Activity at the port is responsible for adding more than $2.6 billion to the regional economy and $3 billion to the Texas economy, The port supports more than 9,000 throughout the region and more than 51,000 jobs statewide.