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Port of Brownsville climbs to No. 41 in U.S. cargo rankings, its highest ever

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Port of Brownsville climbs to No. 41 in U.S. cargo rankings, its highest ever
A cargo ship is loaded along the Brownsville Ship Channel, where the port moved 11.2 million tons of steel, petroleum products, and project cargo in 2023. Courtesy of | Port of Brownsville

The Port of Brownsville has reached its highest national cargo ranking on record, underscoring its growing role in international trade and the Gulf Coast energy sector.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the port ranked No. 41 among the nation’s 150 maritime ports for waterborne cargo in 2023, climbing 14 spots from No. 55 the year before. It marked the port’s strongest showing to date.

The Brownsville seaport moved 11.2 million tons of cargo in 2023, compared with 9.1 million tons in 2022 — a nearly 23% year-over-year jump.

The port is the only deepwater seaport on the U.S.–Mexico border, giving it a critical position in binational trade. 

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Economic Trends Energy
cargo growth energy sector petroleum products Port of Brownsville project cargo Rio Grande Valley economy Seatrium AmFELS Shipyard steel imports Trade U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Naxi Lopez-Puente

Naxi Lopez-Puente

Reporter

Naxiely López, managing editor of the Rio Grande Valley Business Journal, is a veteran Valley journalist who reported and served as metro editor at The Monitor. She later led programs and partnerships at Mission EDC, giving her on-the-ground insight into regional growth. A Valley native raised in South Texas, she brings a deep working knowledge of how the RGV does business.

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