Chairman’s Letter

A LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Dear Friends of the Port,

This past year has taught us a lot.

It has taught us the importance of family and friends. It has awakened us to the vulnerability of so many things we once took for granted. It has taught us about personal courage and compassion, and of the resiliency of our communities and economies in pushing forward even through the most difficult of times. And in the process, we learned a lot about ourselves.

In a year in which we could have simply hunkered down to weather the storm, I am very proud of the work our port staff did in assuring unimpeded shipping operations for the sake of all those who depended on us. Port tenants, shippers, truckers, rail partners and others worked through the challenges to keep cargo flowing and local individuals employed.

A sincere recognition goes out to my fellow commissioners serving the Brownsville Navigation District who, through thoughtful leadership, never lost sight of the district’s priorities in moving the port forward for the betterment of our communities. I know how hard each of my colleagues work in making the port the Rio Grande Valley’s leading economic engine.

We proved resilient in 2020, never losing sight of our duty as a critical gateway for trade and commerce. Rio Grande Valley farmers saw their sorghum being shipped to foreign ports as we earned a $14.5 million grant to expand grain operations to create more opportunities, while the port’s shipbuilding and ship recycling tenants earned numerous major contracts that will add hundreds of well-paying jobs to the region. By the end of 2020, we moved 11.6 million short tons of diverse cargo with operating revenues of $37 million, both records for the port. We saw more than 51,000 railcar movements during the year while Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 processed $4.3 billion in exports, both records as well.

For a year that could have knocked us backward, the entire port community pushed forward with resilience. We are tremendously thankful for the work of everyone over the past year as we overcame significant challenges, and we are even more optimistic in our opportunities going forward.

With Respect,

Sergio Tito Lopez Chairman Brownsville Navigation District