Business, Freight News, Sea

Port of Galveston explores cargo opportunities with Panama

[ July 6, 2022   //   Gary G Burrows ]

A delegation of Texas port leaders and Rodger Rees, Galveston Wharves port director and CEO, recently traveled to Panama with to explore growth opportunities.
The U.S.-Panama Business Council organized the trade mission June 13-14 so that high-level Panamanian government, business and canal leaders could meet with the Texas delegation to discuss current opportunities and the global outlook.
The Panama Canal is a major shipping route for cargo and lay ships that call on the Port of Galveston. Panama also has a growing cruise industry with cruise ports at the Caribbean entrance to the canal in Colon and on the Pacific side near Panama City.
Of the 946 ships that called on Galveston in 2021, a number were cargo ships and lay ships that traveled through the canal. Shippers that carry wind, roll-on/roll-off, grain and other cargos to and from the Port of Galveston rely on the canal for efficient transport. The Panama Canal recorded 287 million tons of cargo and 13,300 vessel movements in 2021.
The Port of Galveston is a major Texas cargo port, moving almost 5 million tons in 2021. The Galveston Ship Channel ranks in the top 50 U.S. waterways for cargo tonnage. Galveston is one of 11 deep-draft ports in Texas that contribute to the state’s top national ranking for total waterborne tonnage.

Tags: Port of Galveston