From Arnold & Itkin Trial Lawyers: Top 10 US Ports: Balancing Commerce & Worker Safety

A nice summary of the top ten ports in the United States. The Port of Houston is #5. It also discusses worker safety issues associated with each.

- Click here for the article.

Approximately 360 sea and river ports serve as the lifeblood of the U.S. economy, facilitating the flow of more than 2 billion tons of cargo in and out of the country every year. In addition to moving goods, these ports support millions of jobs, drive technological advancement, and contribute significantly to local and national economies.

America’s busiest ports, from the sprawling complexes of Los Angeles and New York to the strategic hubs of Savannah and Houston, are the driving force behind the country’s status as a key player in global trade. Not only will we consider—and rank—the busiest ports in the United States, but we will reflect on the challenges faced by workers and what role the companies operating at America’s ports can play in keeping them safe.

First, let’s look at the nation’s busiest ports, based on the number of 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs, a measure of volume in units of 20-foot-long containers) they handled in 2022.

. . . 5. Port of Houston

The Port of Houston is fifth on our list of America’s busiest ports with over 3.9 million TEUs. It has two container terminals and the largest petrochemical production facility in the U.S.

Key Features: The Port of Houston is the largest port in the Gulf of Mexico and its operations contribute to about $265 billion in revenue each year. Its economic impact is significant, generating approximately 1.35 million jobs in Texas and 3.2 million jobs nationwide. After petroleum, the Port of Houston’s major exports include oils, plastics, mineral products, wood, steel, iron, and fertilizers.

Fromk the Texas Tribune: Houston, and its global petrochemical hub, remain in the eye of the storm

Area state senator Larry Taylor is featured here.

More concerns for the 85th Session.

- Click here for the article.

The waters that make the Houston Ship Channel an important global port and hub of petrochemical activity are the same rising tides that - under the most dire scenarios - could one day cause catastrophe.

To the frustration of many, however, that looming threat of the day when, not if, a powerful storm surge descends on one of Texas' economic engines - ripping above-ground pipes from their fittings, tossing chemical storage tanks like empty soda cans and deluging entire manufacturing plants in brackish salt water - hasn't led to enough political and economic pressure to build what some consider the region's only option for keeping a hurricane from sweeping billions of dollars of Houston investment into the sea.

"We are eight years since Hurricane Ike… and we still don't have that one plan," said State Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, referencing the last hurricane to wreak havoc across the Houston area. "That's troubling, but we're making progress... We will need it. It is not a matter of thinking it may happen some day, it will happen."

With the nation focused on Hurricane Matthew as it continues its march up the East Coast this weekend, some observers have noted Houston's massive role in world energy production and its exposure to storms that are increasing in intensity make it one of the most at-risk spots where devastation could not only claim local lives and structures, but send shockwaves through the economy.

Who should appoint commissioners to the Port of Houston Authority?

At the moment, the Port of Houston Authority ( a single purpose governing entity that controls the Port of Houston) is headed by a seven person board appointed by different governing entities in Harris County:

The City of Houston and the Harris County Commissioners Court each appoint two commissioners. These two governmental entities jointly appoint the chairman of the Port Commission. The Harris County Mayors & Councils Association and the city of Pasadena each appoint one commissioner.


But the port has undergone the Sunset review process and the Sunset Commission recommends that the governor appoint the commissioners, in addition to a variety of other changes. This is part of a general effort to coordinate the activities of all ports in the state, as well as the belief that the port is poorly managed and that management is not transparent. It is difficult for the general population to know what the port is up to.

Click here for links to the report from the Sunset Commission's site as well as the Port of Houston's.

Both the City of Houston and the Harris County Commissioners' Court are opposed to the proposal that the governor appoint board members. Both argue that it compromises local control.

- Story from KUHF. Is this another power grab by the governor?
- The Chronicle reports that the Commisioners' Court would like to appoint all board members on the grounds that the county holds the port's debt.
- Houston Business Journal points out that the port is reorganizing as a response to the Sunset Review report.
- KUHF reports that State Senator John Whitmire of Houston recommended the change, and that County Judge Ed Emmett agrees that a statewide port authority would be a good idea in order to coordinate port activity across the state.