The port of Houston (port code: USHOU) is a large port in the United States. It is situated 326 nautical miles northeast of Brownsville in the southeast of Texas.
The port is a 40 kil9ometers long complex of diversified public and private facilities. The Port of Houston Authority (PHA) operates the public facilities located along the Houston Ship Channel, including Buffalo Bayou, Sims Bayou, Hunting Bayou, Greens Bayou, Boggy Bayou, Goose Creek, Cedar Bayou, Barbours Cut and Bayport. PHA's facilities include: The Turning Basin Terminal, a general cargo facility located about 11.2 kilometers from downtown Houston; the Fentress Bracewell Barbours Cut Container Terminal, an intermodal facility; Jacintoport Terminal, Bulk Materials Handling Plant, Bayport Terminal, a bulk liquids complex, Woodhouse Terminal and Care Terminal (attached to Jacintoport). The port also operates and manages a foreign trade zone site.
The port handles approximately 225,000,000t of cargo, 1,770,000TEU annually. Main imports to this port are petroleum products, iron/steel, LPG, organic chemicals, and crude fertilisers. Main exports from this port include cereals/grains, petroleum products, organic chemicals, polymer plastics and inorganic chemicals.
About 8,000 vessels visit this port per annum. The types of vessels regularly calling at this port are oil/chemical tankers (27%), LPG tankers (14%), bulk carriers (13%), container ships (11%), and general cargo (9%). The maximum length of the vessels recorded to having entered this port is 337 meters. The maximum draught is 13.7 meters. The maximum deadweight is 163750t.