Dietrich: Port of Brownsville policies are increasingly guided by data

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Brownsville Navigation District’s leaders are placing much more emphasis on data when setting policy for the Port of Brownsville, Port Director William Dietrich as confirmed.

Dietrich gave Ron Whitlock Reports an exclusive interview at the 2025 State of the Port Address, which was held at the Brownsville Events Center.

“A lot of times we make decisions with emotions and what we think is a good idea, but lacking data we end up making the wrong decisions. So we’re a data driven operation right now. We’re using cargo stats, we’re using every aspect of data that we can bring in,” Dietrich said.

“As an organization, we’re very good at collecting data, but we never analyzed it. So now, the analytical approach to the data driven approach is actually making better decisions for our tenants, for the market, and for everyone else around us.”

Dietrich continued: “Instead of, hey, this is a good idea, you got to show me what the good idea is. What’s the return on investment to the tenants? What’s the return on investment to the community? How many jobs is this providing? What is the impact? Is it sustainable? Is it not sustainable? And data will tell us that. So, taking that approach helps us make better decisions.”

The Port of Brownsville is the only deep-water seaport directly on the U.S.-Mexico border and encompasses 40,000 acres – the largest land-owning public port authority in the country. Now in its 89th year, the Port of Brownsville has risen to 41st position among the top 150 maritime port in the nation for waterborne cargo, according to latest reports in US Army Corps of Engineers.

The port transships more steel into Mexico than any other U.S. port and is home to premier energy, shipbuilding, and ship recycling industries. And activity at the port is responsible for adding more than $1 billion to the Rio Grande Valley regional economy and more than $12 billion to the Texas economy, and the creation of more than 66,000 jobs statewide. 

Record tonnage

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BND Chairman Esteban Guerra delivered the 2025 State of the Port Address. In a short speech, interspersed with videos from his fellow port commissioners, Guerra highlighted the port’s economic impact on the region and major private investments currently underway. 

“On behalf of the Port of Brownsville and my fellow members of the Brownsville Navigation District, I am proud to share the tremendous progress at the port made possible by the continued support of our community,” Guerra said. “We are working strategically to expand the port’s capabilities and drive economic growth across the region. While the results are impressive, this is only the beginning.”

Guerra said more than 28 million tons of cargo were handled in 2024, the highest volume in the port’s history. “This is testament to the strength of our partnerships, our workforce and the strategic investments we have made,” he said. “It takes consistent positive engagement with our port members, our customers, and longtime families, the people who help keep the momentum going year after year.”

Guerra continued: “We also moved 12 million tons of commodities via pipeline. This increase in activity has powered significant progress across all modes of transportation. The Port recorded 95,000 rail cargo movements, 450,000 truck movements and 2,322 vessel calls, each representing growth opportunities for our partners and for our community.”

Guerra also noted that the Brownsville and Rio Grande International Railway, operated by OmniTRAX, recently celebrated its 40th anniversary at the port. “Congratulations to our partners. Let’s keep up the great work and continue full steam,” he said.

As for truck traffic, this continues to increase, Guerra noted. He said this reflects “strong daily proof” of “more business, more cargo, and more jobs. That is just one of the ways that we keep the regional economy moving forward.”

Private sector investments

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Significant private sector investments continue to fuel economic development at the Port of Brownsville, Guerra pointed out. He said Forza Steel is finalizing the construction of an $85 million, 650,000-square-foot facility that will generate more than 600 direct and indirect jobs. 

Guerra said steel manufacturer Ternium is investing $200 million in a new development featuring a marine terminal at the port. He said the new terminal is expected to boost steel and metal throughput at the port to over 9 million tons annually. 

More evidence that the private sector has belief in the Port of Brownsville has been shown by Texan Cement, Guerra said. He pointed out that the company is expanding its presence at the port with a $42 million investment, shifting operations from import to production. 

Meanwhile, construction of NextDecade’s Rio Grande LNG project continues to advance, reaching key milestones and staying on schedule.

These investments reflect the port’s growing role as a leader for industrial development, job creation, and economic activity in the Rio Grande Valley, Guerra said.

Key Milestones

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In a press release, BND listed the key milestones and successes discussed during the 2025 State of the Port Address. Here is the list:

• Economic Impact: An economic impact study conducted by Martin & Associate’s demonstrated the Port of Brownsville generated $12 billion in total economic activity in 2023, a 400% increase from 2018. Port-related operations support 66,212 jobs statewide, including 10,028 in the Rio Grande Valley, contributing $1.1 billion to the local economy. Employment tied to port activity produced $3.8 billion in income and spending, while state and local tax revenues totaled $285.3 million, with $79.6 million from maritime operations alone.

• Waterborne Cargo Catapults National Ranking: The Port of Brownsville climbed to 41^st position among 150 U.S. maritime ports for waterborne cargo tonnage. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the port moved over 11.2 million tons of cargo in 2023, a 23% increase from 2022’s 9.1 million tons, up from its previous rank of 50th. Vessel traffic at the port recorded 2,561 vessel calls in 2023, up from 1,754 the previous year, representing a forty-six percent increase. Major commodities driving growth at the port include steel, liquid bulk products, aggregates, and project cargo.

• Infrastructure Investment: The Brazos Island Harbord Channel Improvement project to deepen the Brownsville ship channel from 42 to 52 feet is progressing steadily, enhancing navigational capacity and competitiveness for larger vessels and heavier cargo loads. The project, funded through an innovative public private partnership with the Port of Brownsville, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NextDecade, is on schedule for completion by mid-2026.

• Industrial Park Development: Food manufacturer Westa Inc., the first tenant of the Port of Brownsville’s 118-acre business park, is finalizing the layout for its $20 million facilities at the port. Taking advantage of the port’s maritime access, Westa Inc. will receive grains via barge from the Midwest, enhancing the company’s supply chain operations for its high-capacity flour mill and sunflower seed processing plant set to employ 120 people.

•  Foreign Trade Zone: Foreign Trade Zone No. 62 at the Port of Brownsville continues to rank among the nation’s top FTZs, placing 3rd for export value at $7 billion in the latest federal report. This marks 12 consecutive years in the top three. FTZ No. 62 also made its first appearance in the top 20 for imports, ranking 14th with $3.2 billion in goods.

• Regional Collaboration: Chairman Guerra’s appointment to the RioPlex Board of Directors underscores the port’s growing role in fostering binational economic development across the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas. RioPlex is a regional organization committed to bringing economic opportunities to the Rio Grande Valley and northern Tamaulipas.

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