HARLINGEN — The Port of Harlingen recorded a 29-percent increase in total tonnage for fiscal year 2020-21, moving just over 3 million tons of cargo.
Port officials said since 2017 the port located 25 miles inland from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway has grown by 112 percent in cargo volume transiting through the port.
They say the biggest impact that spurred the growth were the distribution of petroleum products that arrived by barge and left by truck bound for Mexico, along with an increase in agricultural fertilizer.
“Fuel constitutes a major portion of our total tonnage and has made a significant impact on the Port’s growth,” Port Director Walker Smith said. “However, that growth is also making headway to allow us to diversify our capabilities of what we can bring into the area.”
Along with refined petroleum products, The Port of Harlingen also transports aggregates; liquid fertilizer; dry fertilizer; agricultural products including grains, cotton, cottonseed and distiller’s dried grains with solubles; and raw sugar.
In February, the Port of Harlingen will celebrate 70 years in operation and 96 years since its creation as the Arroyo Colorado Navigation District of Cameron and Willacy Counties.
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