Shipping from Houston
Houston, Texas freight rates Whether by sea, highway or rail, a major portion of the country’s freight passes in and out of the Houston region. The region is home to the ports of Houston, Galveston, Freeport and Texas City. The Port of Houston ranks first in the U.S. in foreign tonnage and is the largest container port in the Gulf Coast, handling 66 percent of Gulf Coast container traffic in 2013. A recent expansion of the Panama Canal to allow larger ocean freighters should increase port traffic. As one of the nation’s busiest rail centers, the Houston region has a rail network of more than 800 miles of rail line and 21 miles of railroad bridges. Additionally, 10 major rail companies serve the Houston region and 150 trucking lines connect the Port of Houston to the continental U.S., Canada and Mexico. Houston is the crossroads for Interstate Highways 10 and 45, as well as several state highways.
Shipping to Miami
Miami, FL freight rates There are few more prominent hubs for international shipping than Miami, Florida. Miami International Airport is the leading U.S. airport for international freight and the 10th busiest facility in the world. It is also the world’s largest gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. About 84 percent of all air imports and 81 percent of exports from Latin America and the Caribbean go through this southern Florida region. Miami is served by 84 scheduled and 17 charter air carriers, of which 40 are all-cargo carriers. Both the airport and the PortMiami facility make the region a hub for distribution of perishable products, hi-tech commodities, telecommunications equipment, textiles, pharmaceuticals and industrial machinery. The area includes nearly 1,400 licensed customs brokers and freight forwarders and numerous local and multinational companies specializing in international trade and logistics, trade law and advocacy, finance, importing and exporting. There are also more than 100 consulates, foreign trade offices and bi-national chambers of commerce. Domestic shipping and transport to international facilities is provided by a Class I railroad and a Class II railroad, and truck transport can take advantage of access to I-95 and I-75.
