In 2018, the Port of Freeport handled more than 19 billion tons of cargo.
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Port of Freeport: All Trade
Port of Entry
Port of Freeport
Ports of entry within the state of Texas accounted for nearly $740 billion in international trade in 2018. Texas has 29 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 Texas port plays a distinctive role in the state’s transportation network and contributes to the state and local economies.
Glenn Hegar
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
The Port of Freeport’s contributions to the Texas economy include:
Total trade (2018) $11.4 Billion
Direct and indirect employment 50,700
gross domestic product $7.7 Billion
Sources: REMI, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
About the Port of Freeport
The Port of Freeport is one of 10 seaports along Texas’ 367-mile Gulf of Mexico coastline. It is part of the Houston-Galveston Customs District, which includes the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the Sugar Land Regional Airport, the Port of Houston, the Port of Texas City, the Port of Galveston, the Port of Port Lavaca and the Port of Corpus Christi. The Port of Freeport is a deep-water port that is able to accommodate large container ships, and it has the shortest deep-water channel transit on the Texas coast, making its use quick and efficient for oceangoing vessels.
The Port of Freeport was established in 1925, and its first two docks were built in the 1950s. Today, the port continues to capitalize on successful expansion efforts and capabilities.
Port of Freeport: All Trade
2003 to 2018
| Year | Total Trade through Freeport (in billions) | Percentage of Total Trade through Seaports |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 5.0 billion dollars | 5.5% |
| 2004 | 6.9 billion dollars | 5.8% |
| 2005 | 9.4 billion dollars | 6.2% |
| 2006 | 10.3 billion dollars | 5.8% |
| 2007 | 10.1 billion dollars | 5.1% |
| 2008 | 15.8 billion dollars | 6.0% |
| 2009 | 8.8 billion dollars | 5.0% |
| 2010 | 10.4 billion dollars | 4.6% |
| 2011 | 11.5 billion dollars | 4.0% |
| 2012 | 10.6 billion dollars | 3.6% |
| 2013 | 7.4 billion dollars | 2.7% |
| 2014 | 9.2 billion dollars | 3.4% |
| 2015 | 6.9 billion dollars | 3.4% |
| 2016 | 6.3 billion dollars | 3.7% |
| 2017 | 8.8 billion dollars | 4.2% |
| 2018 | 11.4 billion dollars | 4.4% |
Shipping activity through this port accounted for $11.4 billion in trade in 2018, 128 percent more than in 2003 ($5 billion).
This seaport’s trade, as a percentage of the total through all 10 Texas seaports, has fluctuated from as high as 6.2 percent in 2005 to as low as 2.7 percent in 2013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: USA Trade Online
Port of Freeport: Total Trade with Top Trading Partners, 2014 to 2018
Imports Exports
| Year | Trade | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $0.2 | $0.2 | $0.0 |
| 2015 | $0.4 | $0.1 | $0.3 |
| 2016 | $0.4 | $0.1 | $0.4 |
| 2017 | $1.6 | $0.7 | $0.8 |
| 2018 | $3.1 | $1.3 | $1.7 |
Mexico, Japan and China together accounted for about 35 percent of the total trade through this port in 2018, up from 4 percent in 2014.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: USA Trade Online
| Port of Freeport | |||
| Top Imports: | Petroleum Products, Machinery | ||
| Top Exports: | Petroleum Products, Vehicles | ||
| Top Trading Partners: | Mexico, Japan, China | ||
The Port of Freeport is one of 29 official Texas Ports of Entry. See a select list of ports, plus more in-depth regional data.
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the material on this page, please contact the Comptroller’s Data Analysis and Transparency Division.