2022 Eagle Pass State of the Port Conference Reports Record Trade of $33.82 Billion in 2021
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2022
Over 250 persons attended the 2022 Eagle Pass State of the Port luncheon event held on Thursday, August 25, 2022, at the City of Eagle Pass International Center for Trade by the City of Eagle Pass and the Eagle Pass International Bridge System, announced Homero Balderas, General Manager of the Eagle Pass International Bridge System.
According to keynote speaker Ken Roberts, President of World City, the Port of Eagle Pass handled a record $33.82 Billion in exports and imports during 2021, making it the eighth busiest border crossing in the United States and the fifth busiest among the United States-Mexico border.
Roberts stated the Port of Eagle Pass in 2021 recorded a total of $10.48 Billion in exports and $23.35 Billion in imports. Roberts noted that 19 export categories topped $100 million in 2021, including natural gas, corn and wheat, motor vehicle parts, and plastics. In addition, a total of 18 import categories topped $100 million in 2021, including refrigerators and freezers, engine parts, men’s slacks, non-engine motor vehicle parts, track suits and swimwear, and more.
The top five exports in 2021 at the Port of Eagle Pass were soybeans, corn, gasoline, miscellaneous iron and steel articles, and passenger vehicles. The top five imports in 2021 at the Port of Eagle Pass were commercial vehicles, beer, passenger vehicles, seats, and refrigerators and freezers.
The Port of Eagle Pass handled the most soybean exports to Mexico among all U.S.-Mexico border crossings and the most commercial vehicles and beer imports among all U.S.-Mexico border crossings in 2021, Roberts said.
Roberts opined that the future of the Port of Eagle Pass is very bright as both the City of Eagle Pass and the City of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico work together in expanding international bridge no. 2 to accommodate greater trade flow between the U.S. and Mexico.
Eagle Pass Mayor Rolando Salinas, Jr. welcomed the participants and guests to the second annual (2022) Eagle Pass State of the Port conference and expressed his and the Eagle Pass City Council commitment to expanding and modernizing the Port of Eagle Pass facilities, including the expansion of International Bridge No. 2 from six to 12 lanes. Salinas acknowledged the record trade numbers at the Port of Eagle Pass could not be possible without the collaboration of all U.S.-Mexico federal and state agencies and trade stakeholders, particularly U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The 2022 Eagle Pass State of the Port conference featured two panel discussions, one of public sector members and another of private sector members.
In the public sector panel, the panelists included Claudio Bres Garza, Secretariat of Economic Development of the State of Coahuila, Armando Taboada of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Laredo District Office, and David Salazar, District Engineer of the Texas Department of Transportation, Laredo District.
In the private sector panel, the presenters included Raquel Espinoza, Senior Director of Public Affairs of Union Pacific, Ruben Garibay, Chief Executive Officer of Select Dedicated Solutions, and Cesar Isidro Munoz, Corporate Affairs Director of Constellation Brands and President of CANACINTRA of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico.
David Salazar, District Engineer of TxDOT, Laredo District, stated Congress approved the creation of Interstate 27 from Laredo to Lubbock, Texas (through Eagle Pass and Del Rio via Highway 277 North) and to Denver, Colorado and eventually to Canada. The passage of I-27 will provide funding to TxDOT to expand Highway 277 North into Interstate 27, benefitting the Ports of Laredo, Eagle Pass, and Del Rio. Salazar added TxDOT is currently doing a feasibility study on the expansion of Highway 57 from Eagle Pass to Interstate 35 and encouraged participants to take the survey on Highway 57 on the TxDOT website, but noted no funding for expansion of Highway 57 has been granted yet. Salazar also noted Loop 480 in Eagle Pass currently lacks funding by TxDOT to complete the remaining part of the project.
Armando Taboada of U.S. CBP, Laredo District, stated CBP is prepared to provide the personnel and resources necessary for expansion of the Port of Eagle Pass facilities and import and export trade.
Claudio Bres Garza, Secretariat of Economic Development of the State of Coahuila, stated the growth of import and export trade through the Port of Eagle Pass is expected to grow up to $750 Billion in 2050 and that both the cities of Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras, Coahuila needed to expand its Port facilities, including the construction of a second railroad bridge between Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras to service the future growth of rail traffic between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada.
Raquel Espinoza of Union Pacific highlighted her company’s $52 Million expansion of its Eagle Pass rail yard and charitable donation of $380,000 to Southwest Texas Junior College for its Diesel Mechanic training and school. Espinoza acknowledged that Union Pacific does not currently have plans to build a second railroad bridge at Eagle Pass and its present facility will continue to handle all import and export rail trade.
Ruben Garibay of Select Dedicated Solutions stated the Port of Eagle Pass had tremendous potential but the City of Eagle Pass and local businesses need to promote the Port of Eagle Pass more and “put their money where their mouth is,” that is fund more trips to Austin and Washington, D.C. to lobby legislators for its funding needs and for private donors to make donations to legislators responsible for the decision making process. Garibay referred his comments as a “Call to Action,” challenging Eagle Pass leaders, trade stakeholders, and businesses to step up to meet the challenge of growth.
Cesar Isidro Munoz of Constellation Brands stated its Nava, Coahuila, Mexico brewery, the world’s largest and most technologically advanced, is producing 30 million hectoliters of all Modelo beer products, including Corona, Modelo, and Pacifico, and exporting 100 percent of it through the Port of Eagle Pass, averaging 100 trailers and 200 railroad cars per day.
In summary, 2022 Eagle Pass State of the Port participants learned about the rapid growth of the international trade crossing through the Port of Eagle Pass rising as the eighth busiest U.S.-Mexico port of entry and the 32nd busiest in the entire U.S., the large potential of future trade at the Port of Eagle Pass, and the challenges facing Eagle Pass to become and remain a major international trade partner such as expansion of the new Interstate 27 project, expansion of Highway 57 into a four lane highway to Interstate 35, completion of Loop 480, and the necessary political and business leadership required to fund its future growth.
