Port Houston to Host 2nd Annual JOC Gulf Shipping Conference

Port Houston is hosting the 2nd Annual JOC Gulf Shipping Conference, organized by The Journal of Commerce and parent company IHS Markit, May 14-16 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in downtown Houston.

With the Panama Canal expansion complete, regional U.S. ports from Tampa, Fla. to Brownsville, Texas are working together to direct the future of the Gulf Coast in a positive manner. The JOC Gulf Shipping Conference will take an in-depth look at the latest trends, problems and solutions emerging for cargo owners importing and exporting through the Gulf.

Port Houston was the host port for the first shipping conference last year and welcomed more than 250 attendees. This year’s event will provide information and insights that cargo owners can use to plan and execute shipments of container, breakbulk and project cargoes through US Gulf ports.

“Last year’s inaugural event laid a solid foundation to build on, and this conference will provide the latest economic outlook and growth opportunities for ports in the U.S. Gulf,” said Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther.

It is anticipated that the U.S. Gulf region will see steady growth in coming years as a result of plant expansions along the Houston Ship Channel coming on line. That expansion will result in an increase in the amount of plastic resins being produced and exported.

The industry meeting is scheduled to cover a variety of topics and trends, including petrochemical resins, container shipping, breakbulk and project cargo, intermodal rail connections, automotive trade and equipment repositioning.

For more information about the JOC Gulf Shipping Conference, please visit http://events.joc.com/gulf-shipping-conference-2017.

About Port Houston

For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the public wharves and terminals of the Port of Houston – the nation’s largest port for foreign waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas and the nation. It supports the creation of nearly 1.175 million jobs in Texas and 2.7 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling almost $265 billion in Texas – 16 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic product – and more than $617 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the port’s website at PortHouston.com.