WASHINGTON: The ports of Houston and Antwerp vowed yesterday to continue working together to build the trans-Atlantic supply chain of the future during a seminar focused on international commerce and supply chains management.
The ports have been working together for several years and share similarities in the various types of cargo handled, including breakbulk cargo and containers. Both ports also have a strong industrial presence and significant petrochemical facilities in their respective areas. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed by executives of the ports in 2014, and a representative of the Port of Antwerp works in Houston.
Trade between Port Houston and the Port of Antwerp this year will exceed six million tons, and one out of every three tons shipped between Antwerp and the United States is handled in Houston. This volume is growing steadily. Tonnage between 2011 and 2015 grew five percent, with container volume growing 38 percent during that same time period. A highlight of the seminar was a royal medal of distinction bestowed by Princess Astrid of Belgium to Port Houston Chairman Janiece Longoria, recognizing her leadership in the maritime industry.
