In 2018, the Port of Beaumont handled about 38 billion tons of cargo.
Port of Entry
Ports of entry within the state of Texas accounted for nearly $740 billion in international trade in 2018. Texas has 29 official ports of entry that serve as critical gateways to global trade. Each port, whether an airport, land port or seaport, serves many domestic and international economic activities across multiple industries. Each Texas port plays a distinctive role in the state’s transportation network and contributes to the state and local economies.
Glenn Hegar
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
The Port of Beaumont’s contributions to the Texas economy include:
Total trade (2018) $18.8 Billion
Direct and indirect employment 83,700
gross domestic product $12.6 Billion
Sources: REMI, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
In 2018, the Port of Beaumont handled about 38 billion tons of cargo.
The Port of Beaumont is one of 10 seaports along Texas’ 367-mile Gulf of Mexico coastline. It is part of the Port Arthur Customs District, which also includes Port Orange, Port Arthur and Port Sabine. The Port of Beaumont is home to the U.S. Army’s 842nd Transportation Battalion, which is responsible for all military maritime logistics in the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.
The Port of Beaumont was established in 1908, primarily for the export of timber and cotton. Today, its cargo focuses heavily on petroleum products.
Year | Total Trade through Beaumont (in billions) | Percentage of Total Trade through Seaports |
---|---|---|
2003 | $5.8 | 6.4% |
2004 | $7.8 | 6.6% |
2005 | $8.8 | 5.8% |
2006 | $10.9 | 6.1% |
2007 | $16.2 | 8.2% |
2008 | $21.3 | 8.1% |
2009 | $12.2 | 6.9% |
2010 | $14.4 | 6.4% |
2011 | $17.8 | 6.2% |
2012 | $17.0 | 5.7% |
2013 | $13.9 | 4.9% |
2014 | $12.5 | 4.6% |
2015 | $8.1 | 4.0% |
2016 | $7.4 | 4.4% |
2017 | $13.2 | 6.4% |
2018 | $18.8 | 7.2% |
Shipping activity through this port accounted for $18.8 billion in trade in 2018, 225 percent more than in 2003 ($5.8 billion).
This seaport’s trade, as a percentage of the total through all 10 Texas seaports, has fluctuated from as high as 8.2 percent in 2007 to as low as 4 percent in 2015.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: USA Trade Online
Imports Exports
Year | Trade | Exports | Imports |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | $6.2 | $4.9 | $1.4 |
2017 | $5.3 | $4.7 | $0.6 |
2016 | $2.4 | $2.0 | $0.4 |
2015 | $2.1 | $2.0 | $0.2 |
2014 | $2.6 | $2.5 | $0.2 |
Mexico, China and South Korea together accounted for about 41 percent of the total trade through this port in 2018, up from 21 percent in 2014.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: USA Trade Online
Port of Beaumont | |||
Top Imports: | Petroleum Products, Wood Pulp | ||
Top Exports: | Petroleum Products, Chemicals | ||
Top Trading Partners: | Mexico, China and South Korea |
The Port of Beaumont is one of 29 official Texas Ports of Entry. See a select list of ports, plus more in-depth regional data.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the material on this page, please contact the Comptroller’s Data Analysis and Transparency Division.