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Exhibit 1
Exhibit 2
Export and Import Values, Port Freeport, 2003-2024 (in billions)
Exhibit 3
Exhibit 4
Share of Exports from Port Freeport to Destination Country, 2024
Exhibit 5
Share of Imports to Port Freeport by Country of Origin, 2024
Exhibit 6
Port of Entry: FreeportImpact to the Texas Economy, 2024
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, traveled across the state’s seaports, with Port Freeport accounting for 5.2 percent of seaport trade, or $22.5 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.
Economic Contribution of Trade
Based on the Comptroller’s estimate, trade through Port Freeport in 2024 affected 133,000 net jobs and contributed $17 billion to Texas’ gross domestic product (GDP) (Exhibit 1).
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Total direct trade value | $22.5 billion |
| Gross domestic product | $17.1 billion |
| Total employment | 133,108 |
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.
The estimated contributions offer a strong indicator of the economic importance of this port of entry to Texas; estimates as such are not precise quantifications of direct or indirect contributions to the Texas economy.
Port Freeport Trade
Port Freeport is one of 23 seaports along Texas’ 367-mile Gulf Coast. Total trade through Port Freeport was $22.5 billion in 2024, up 347.2 percent from 2003 levels. Port Freeport was a net exporter by trade value in 2024, seeing $13.1 billion in exports and $9.4 billion in imports (Exhibit 2).
Data for Exhibit 2
| Year | Exports | Imports | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | $1.0 | $4.0 | $5.0 |
| 2004 | $1.2 | $5.7 | $6.9 |
| 2005 | $1.4 | $8.0 | $9.4 |
| 2006 | $1.6 | $8.7 | $10.3 |
| 2007 | $1.7 | $8.4 | $10.1 |
| 2008 | $2.0 | $13.8 | $15.8 |
| 2009 | $1.2 | $7.6 | $8.8 |
| 2010 | $1.4 | $9.0 | $10.4 |
| 2011 | $1.6 | $9.9 | $11.5 |
| 2012 | $1.6 | $9.0 | $10.6 |
| 2013 | $1.5 | $5.9 | $7.4 |
| 2014 | $2.7 | $6.5 | $9.2 |
| 2015 | $3.4 | $3.5 | $6.9 |
| 2016 | $3.4 | $2.9 | $6.3 |
| 2017 | $5.6 | $3.3 | $8.9 |
| 2018 | $7.9 | $3.7 | $11.6 |
| 2019 | $8.3 | $3.3 | $11.6 |
| 2020 | $8.4 | $2.5 | $10.9 |
| 2021 | $15.8 | $3.2 | $19.1 |
| 2022 | $13.8 | $4.9 | $18.7 |
| 2023 | $11.8 | $4.8 | $16.6 |
| 2024 | $13.1 | $9.4 | $22.5 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
The top export commodities by value from Port Freeport in 2024 were mineral fuels ($8.7 billion), followed by vehicle parts ($2.1 billion) and organic chemicals ($1.5 billion). These commodities accounted for 54.6 percent of the port’s total exports. Top imports to the port included vehicle parts ($4.6 billion), mineral fuels ($2.6 billion) and machinery and mechanical appliances ($1.1 billion) (Exhibit 3).
| Commodity | Value (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Mineral Fuels | $8,717.3 |
| Vehicle Parts | $2,082.8 |
| Organic Chemicals | $1,469.0 |
| Inorganic Chemicals | $259.1 |
| Plastics | $235.1 |
| Total All Commodities | $13,087.6 |
| Commodity | Import Value (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Parts | $4,551.1 |
| Mineral Fuels | $2,587.6 |
| Machinery and Mechanical Appliances | $1,137.9 |
| Iron and Steel | $463.8 |
| Vegetable Products | $315.6 |
| Total All Commodities | $9,370.0 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
The value of exports from Port Freeport to its top five recipient countries was $5.5 billion in 2024, or 42 percent of its total. Japan was the leading destination for exported goods, receiving 13.7 percent of all exported commodities from the port (Exhibit 4).
Data for Exhibit 4
| Country | Exports (in billions) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | $1.8 | 14% |
| Netherlands | $1.1 | 9% |
| Indonesia | $1.0 | 7% |
| United Arab Emirates | $0.9 | 7% |
| Korea, South | $0.7 | 53% |
| Other | $7.6 | 58% |
| Total | $13.1 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
Port Freeport’s top five import trading partners accounted for 60 percent of its $9.4 billion in imports in 2024, with Mexico comprising more than a fifth of all imports (Exhibit 5).
Data for Exhibit 5
| Country | Imports (in billions) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | $2.0 | 21% |
| Germany | $1.7 | 18% |
| Slovakia | $0.7 | 8% |
| Venezuela | $0.7 | 7% |
| Japan | $0.5 | 6% |
| Other | $3.8 | 40% |
| Total | $9.4 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: Economic Indicators Division, USA Trade Online.
Port Freeport – Capital Improvement Projects
Port Freeport underwent several capital improvement projects in 2023 and 2024, with several scheduled in 2025, with total project costs of $663.0 million (Exhibit 6).2 Projects included the Freeport Parcel 14 rail expansion project and expansion and improvements to the Velasco Terminal.3
| Project | Cost (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Port Freeport Berth 8 and RORO Platform (2023) | $144.0 |
| Port Freeport Parcel 14 Rail Expansion (2023) | $10.0 |
| VWGoA Vehicle Processing and Distribution Center (2024) | $120.0 |
| Del Monte Refrigerated Container Yard (2024) | $8.0 |
| Freeport Harbor Channel Improvement Project (2025) | $295.0 |
| Freeport Warehouse Refrigerated Cross-Dock (2025) | $26.0 |
| Velasco Termina Cranes 3&4 (2025) | $25.0 |
| Velasco Terminal Storage Area 5 (2025) | $19.0 |
| Velasco Terminal Access Project (2025) | $9.0 |
| Velasco Terminal Gate 12 (2025) | $3.0 |
| East 5th Street Reconstruction Project (2025) | $2.0 |
| Gate 4 Access Road Widening (2025) | $1.0 |
| Chiquita Reefer Yard Expansion (2025) | $1.0 |
| Total | $663.0 |
Source: Texas Port Mission Plan.
Endnotes
- U.S. Census Bureau: USA Trade Online – U.S. Import and Export Merchandise trade statistics. ↳
- Data received from Port Freeport. ↳
- Port Authority Advisory Committee, “Texas Port Mission Plan” (PDF), (Last visited June 30, 2025). ↳