Port Houston approved to handle cold treatment cargo
July 17, 2024
The Port of Houston is broadening its offerings with a new approval by the federal government.
The Port of Houston Authority — which owns, manages and operates the eight public terminals on the Houston Ship Channel, including its two container terminals — has received approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to handle cold treatment cargo.
Cold treatment is a process of shipping cargo at certain low temperatures to protect the cargo from pests and diseases. It is particularly used for fresh produce. Port Houston will now be able to receive and manage shipments that complete the cold treatment process in transit.
“Receiving APHIS approval to handle cold treatment cargo is a major achievement for Port Houston,” said Roger Guenther, executive director at Port Houston.
“This capability allows us to provide additional services to our customers, helping ensure their perishable goods arrive in optimal condition. It further solidifies our commitment to supporting global trade and meeting the stringent standards of agricultural safety.”
Some products that can now be better imported to Houston include citrus fruits, grapes and other produce.
“As an established importer and distributor of fresh produce in Houston, having cold treatment services in this region is imperative to broaden access to key commodities and sustainable growth,” said Jacquie Ediger, executive vice president of Pro Citrus Network and Houston-based Foremost Fresh Direct. "We congratulate Port Houston’s team for achieving this significant milestone.
“These services will help the port grow the volume of perishables cargo and ultimately support our commitment and key objective — to deliver fresh produce to customers as fresh and cost-effective as possible.”
Similarly, cold storage was one of the hottest subsectors of the industrial real estate market during the pandemic, with sales hitting a record $33 billion in 2020, a 22.9% increase, according to a 2021 Colliers International report that cited Real Capital Analytics Inc. data.
Dante Galeazzi, president and CEO of Texas International Produce Association, added: “On top of the many other additions happening at and around Port Houston, these projects continue to make Texas the prime sourcing location for fresh fruits and vegetables.”
Port Houston is working on other projects to expand, including Project 11, a massive undertaking to deepen and widen the Houston Ship Channel.
Port Houston recently proposed new user fees to recuperate the costs of the $1 billion project.
The Port of Houston, which was established in 1914, is one of the city’s main economic drivers as the busiest waterway in the nation. The port's economic impact is $439 billion across Texas and $906 billion nationwide, and it's responsible for 1.5 million jobs in Texas and 3.37 million jobs nationwide, according to Port Houston data.