Port Houston Chairman Ric Campo yesterday testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means – Subcommittee on Trade, concerning “ Trade Infrastructure for Global Competitiveness ”.
In his testimony, Campo highlighted the critical need to expeditiously widen and deepen the Houston Ship Channel – “Project 11.”
He stressed the economic impact of the Houston Ship Channel, the busiest waterway in the nation, as a critical, national piece of trade infrastructure, and that it is vital to expand the channel to maintain safety, economic growth, and national competitiveness.
“ The Houston Ship Channel is indisputably a vital pillar of our national trade infrastructure, ” Campo said. “ Together, with our private industry partners, we are working with the federal government to deliver an expanded waterway faster than the traditional process. We cannot afford to wait. ”
According to Campo, the greater Port of Houston is the top U.S. port for exports, helping Texas remain the #1 ranked exporting state. It is also the nation’s #1 energy port and largest exporter of crude oil, and home to the largest petrochemical manufacturing complex in the nation, second in the world only behind Rotterdam.