In order to promote Asian trade, the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority approved a $340,000 two -year professional services contract with Ben Line Agencies Limited Singapore at its September 28 meeting. Asia has been the port authority's fastest-growing segment over the last ten years, and more trade currently flows across the Pacific than any other trade lane.
The Port Commissions' CEO Alec G. Dreyer explained that August was a good month and container TEUs totaled 152,077, with nearly 1.2 million year-to-date, a 2 percent increase over August 2009 during the same period. Steel throughput increased four-fold from what it was in August 2009 to 285,000 tons, and Dreyer mentioned during the meeting that the amount of export steel during August 2010-60,467 tons- was the highest since March 2008. Dreyer commented that September is also looking good, with overall steel tonnage for the month projected to range between 320,000 and 325,000 tons.