What specific improvements are expected with the completion of Project 11 in the Houston Ship Channel?

The Houston Ship Channel expansion project, Project 11, is progressing significantly. This initiative is crucial for enhancing the channel's capacity, allowing for safer and more efficient bidirectional traffic of everyday goods and petrochemical products to and from the region. Project 11 has an investment of US$1.2 billion and is scheduled to be completed in 2025, meeting an ambitious timeline.

What are the main benefits of this expansion for port operations?

Our business is experiencing steady and positive growth without significant challenges on the horizon. We are expanding our terminals to increase our capacity to dock more ships, strengthening our market position.

How does the polypropylene trade affect economic relations between Latin America and the Port of Houston?

The Port of Houston stands out as a crucial hub for the trade of polypropylene, a product that flows in and out in significant quantities. Houston exports resins or polypropylene in large amounts to all world regions, including LATAM. Although there are imports, the volumes are not comparable. Our resin exports amount to approximately 400,000-500,000 TEUs annually.

How does the Express Pass system benefit the operational efficiency of the Port, and how do you view the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

We have implemented advanced technology such as Express Pass to facilitate the quick entry and exit of trucks, being pioneers in implementing this system to achieve operation times within 40 minutes. However, we consider that artificial intelligence is still in an early stage for effective application in our segment.

We have an OCR system, "Optical Character Recognition." This system reads the container number, chassis number, and tractor-trailer plate and assigns the "Mission Ticket" to a booking in our system. This helps speed up entry to the terminal, even if they do not participate in Express Pass.

When a carrier uses Express Pass, the shipment is registered as soon as the truck is dispatched from the transportation company's headquarters, ensuring there will be no delay upon arrival at the terminal, as any issues are determined at dispatch and can be resolved before the truck leaves its precinct.

Why is APLA's Logistics Meeting important for the operation of the Port of Houston?

The 26th Latin American Logistics Meeting organized by APLA is essential for our operation. Through our association with APLA, we have strengthened our connection with the Port of Houston, allowing us to interact directly with our customers and share valuable perspectives.