January 27, 2003

Port of Houston Authority Commission

The Port of Houston Authority Commission will review 2002 year-end results during its monthly meeting this afternoon.

The authority’s total container volume and total tonnage surged to record levels in 2002.  Total container volume reached 1,159,789 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), a 10 percent increase over the 1,057,869 TEUs recorded in the previous year.  

The Barbours Cut Container Terminal accounted for most of the container volume – 1,063,076 TEUs in 2002 compared to 911,903 TEUs during the previous year.  The PHA’s total container tonnage in 2002 was 10,858,068 short tons compared to 10,119,938 short tons in 2001.  BCT’s 2002 portion totaled 9,992,136 short tons, up from 8,833,183 short tons in 2001.  

Additionally during 2002, the PHA’s Bulk Materials Handling Plant handled a record total of 3,846,720 short tons compared to 2,979,139 short tons in 2001.

“These results show that despite rising costs and a weak economy, the port authority’s operations are efficient, our facilities are in excellent shape, and our people remain committed to our customers,” stated Chair Jim Edmonds. “Still, despite the increased container volume and tonnage, the rate of growth in the port authority’s container traffic is actually slowing because we are running out of space. We simply do not have the capacity to serve everyone who wants to come to the port."

Edmonds said the need for the proposed Bayport Container and Cruise Terminal "is abundantly clear.” 

The Bayport project remains under review by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is expected to issue a final environmental impact statement in March.  PHA projections are that the Bayport facility will triple the port’s container handling capacity and create more than 39,000 new jobs.

This afternoon's report also will say that during 2002, PHA continued to feel the impact of U.S. trade sanctions on steel imports, which declined to just under 1.94 million short tons, an 18 percent drop from the nearly 2.37 million short tons the PHA recorded in the previous year.  

Citing the volume and tonnage increases in bulk materials, general cargo, auto imports and exports, and bagged goods, the PHA posted record-level operating revenue of nearly $108.5 million in 2002, an increase of one percent from operating revenue of $106.9 million in 2001. 

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