Texas ports of entry accounted for more than $1 trillion in international trade in 2024.1 Texas has 32 official ports of entry that serve as critical gateways to global trade. Each port — whether an airport, land port or seaport — serves many domestic and international economic activities across multiple industries. Each port also plays a distinctive role in the state’s transportation network and contributes to state and local economies.
Of Texas’ total international trade, 40.4 percent, or $429.4 billion in goods, traveled across the state’s seaports, with Port of Corpus Christi accounting for 21 percent of seaport trade, or $88.6 billion. Each seaport facilitates the movement of goods between Texas and other nations. Each Texas seaport is unique, offering different capabilities and many shipping options, including bulk, roll-on/roll-off, container and liquid/gas shipping.
Based on the Comptroller’s estimate, trade through Port Corpus Christi in 2024 resulted in 864,000 jobs and contributed $113 billion to Texas’ gross domestic product (GDP) (Exhibit 1).
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Total direct trade value | $88.6 billion |
| Gross domestic product | $113.3 billion |
| Total employment | 864,122 |
Notes: “Gross domestic product” refers to the total value of all final goods and services produced in Texas; “Total employment” refers to both direct and indirect employment.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online; Regional Economic Models Inc. model for Texas; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts analysis.
Port of Corpus Christi is one of 23 seaports along Texas’ 367-mile Gulf Coast. Total trade through the port rose by a staggering 487 percent between 2016 and 2024. Port of Corpus Christi was a net exporter by trade value in 2024, seeing $82.7 billion in exports and $5.9 billion in imports (Exhibit 2).
| Year | Exports | Imports | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | $1.9 | $8.0 | $9.9 |
| 2004 | $1.9 | $9.9 | $11.8 |
| 2005 | $2.2 | $13.2 | $15.5 |
| 2006 | $3.3 | $15.5 | $18.8 |
| 2007 | $4.0 | $18.2 | $22.1 |
| 2008 | $5.0 | $24.7 | $29.7 |
| 2009 | $4.0 | $14.7 | $18.7 |
| 2010 | $5.9 | $19.1 | $25.0 |
| 2011 | $10.0 | $20.8 | $30.8 |
| 2012 | $10.6 | $17.8 | $28.5 |
| 2013 | $10.4 | $14.6 | $25.1 |
| 2014 | $12.1 | $12.9 | $25.0 |
| 2015 | $9.9 | $7.0 | $16.9 |
| 2016 | $9.8 | $5.3 | $15.1 |
| 2017 | $15.8 | $7.0 | $22.8 |
| 2018 | $23.3 | $7.2 | $30.4 |
| 2019 | $28.6 | $5.7 | $34.4 |
| 2020 | $31.8 | $4.0 | $35.7 |
| 2021 | $51.9 | $5.2 | $57.1 |
| 2022 | $86.4 | $8.1 | $94.5 |
| 2023 | $81.3 | $5.4 | $86.7 |
| 2024 | $82.7 | $5.9 | $88.6 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
The top export commodities by value from Port of Corpus Christi in 2024 were mineral fuels ($80 billion), followed by organic chemicals ($1.2 billion) and cereals ($619.5 million). These commodities accounted for 98.9 percent of the port’s total exports. Top imports to the port included mineral fuels ($4.8 billion), ores and slag ($301.6 million) and machinery and equipment ($275.6 million) (Exhibit 3).
| Commodity | Export Value (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Mineral Fuels | $79,991.5 |
| Organic Chemicals | $1,179.6 |
| Cereals | $619.5 |
| Iron And Steel | $349.7 |
| Inorganic Chemicals | $218.3 |
| Total All Commodities | $82,667.2 |
| Commodity | Import Value (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Mineral Fuels | $4,763.8 |
| Ores, Slag And Ash | $301.6 |
| Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery Etc.; Parts | $275.6 |
| Iron And Steel | $183.6 |
| Electric Machinery Etc; Sound Equipment; Tv Equipment Parts | $111.4 |
| Total All Commodities | $5,921.5 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
The value of exports from Port of Corpus Christi to its top five recipient countries was $42 billion in 2024, or 51 percent of its total. The Netherlands was the leading destination for exported goods, receiving 16 percent of all exported commodities from the port (Exhibit 4).
| Country | Exports (in billions) | Share of Exports |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | $13.3 | 16% |
| Korea, South | $11.9 | 14% |
| United Kingdom | $6.0 | 7% |
| Taiwan | $5.8 | 7% |
| Singapore | $5.0 | 6% |
| Other | $40.7 | 49% |
| Total | $82.7 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
Port of Corpus Christi’s top five import trading partners accounted for 64 percent of its $5.9 billion in imports in 2024, with Mexico comprising over a fifth of all imports (Exhibit 5).
| Country | Imports (in billions) | Share of Imports |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $1.3 | 22% |
| Colombia | $0.9 | 15% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | $0.6 | 10% |
| Kuwait | $0.6 | 10.1% |
| Venezuela | $0.4 | 7% |
| Other | $2.1 | 36% |
| Total | $5.9 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
Port of Corpus Christi underwent several capital improvement projects in 2024, with total project costs of $1.5 billion (Exhibit 6). Projects include the deepening and widening of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel and dock deepening project.
| Project | Cost (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project | $681.6 |
| Corpus Christi Ship Channel Dock Deepening Project | $330.0 |
| Ingleside Low Carbon Energy Terminal | $288.5 |
| Ingleside Cargo Dock | $129.0 |
| Inland Industrial Port Campus | $81.5 |
| La Quinta Channel Expansion Feasibility Study | $4.5 |
| Corpus Christi Ship Channel Queuing Area Feasibility Study | $3.0 |
| Total Major Construction Project Costs | $1,518.1 |
Source: Texas Port Mission Plan.