In 2018, the port handled more than 60 billion tons of cargo.
Top navigation skipped
Port of Corpus Christi: All Trade
Port of Entry
Port of Corpus Christi
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 Corpus Christi’s contributions to the Texas economy include:
Total trade (2018) $29.5 Billion
Direct and indirect employment 131,600
gross domestic product $19.9 Billion
Sources: REMI, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
About the Port of Corpus Christi
The Port of Corpus Christi is one of 10 seaports along Texas’ 367-mile Gulf of Mexico coastline. This deep-draft commercial port is an exporter of energy-related products and a federally designated military strategic port, ready to support military forces during national emergencies.
The Port of Corpus Christi, established in 1926 primarily for the export of cotton, has evolved into a major energy port, handling cargo that includes petrochemicals and wind turbine components.
Port of Corpus Christi: All Trade
2003 to 2018
| Year | Total Trade through Corpus Christi (in billions) | Percentage of Total Trade through Seaports |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | $9.9 | 11.0% |
| 2004 | $11.8 | 9.9% |
| 2005 | $15.5 | 10.2% |
| 2006 | $18.8 | 10.6% |
| 2007 | $22.1 | 11.2% |
| 2008 | $29.7 | 11.3% |
| 2009 | $18.7 | 10.6% |
| 2010 | $25.0 | 11.1% |
| 2011 | $30.8 | 10.7% |
| 2012 | $28.5 | 9.6% |
| 2013 | $25.1 | 8.9% |
| 2014 | $25.0 | 9.1% |
| 2015 | $16.9 | 8.3% |
| 2016 | $15.1 | 9.0% |
| 2017 | $22.7 | 10.9% |
| 2018 | $29.5 | 11.3% |
Shipping activity through this port accounted for $29.5 billion in trade in 2018, 197 percent more than in 2003 ($9.9 billion). Shipping activity has varied since 2003, but as a percentage of the total through all 10 Texas seaports, the port’s trade has been relatively stable (between 8 and 11 percent).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: USA Trade Online
Port of Corpus Christi: Total Trade with Top Trading Partners, 2014 to 2018
Imports Exports
| Year | Trade with Taiwan, Venezuela and Mexico (billions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade | Exports | Imports | |
| 2014 | $5.4 | $3.2 | $2.2 |
| 2015 | $3.1 | $1.7 | $1.4 | 2016 | $3.0 | $1.9 | $1.1 |
| 2017 | $4.8 | $3.6 | $1.3 |
| 2018 | $7.1 | $5.2 | $1.9 |
Mexico, Venezuela and Taiwan accounted for about 24 percent of the total trade through this port in 2018, up from about 22 percent in 2014.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: USA Trade Online
| Port of Corpus Christi | |||
| Top Imports: | Petroleum Products, Steel | ||
| Top Exports: | Petroleum Products, Chemicals | ||
| Top Trading Partners: | Mexico, Venezuela, Taiwan | ||
The Port of Corpus Christi is one of 29 official Texas Ports of Entry. See a select list of ports, plus more in-depth regional data.
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the material on this page, please contact the Comptroller’s Data Analysis and Transparency Division.