MEDIA ADVISORY, July 15, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady, U.S. Congressman Mike McCaul, Port of Houston Chairman Jim Edmonds, Greater Houston Partnership CEO Jeff Moseley, Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Iris Correa, and other business, civic, and industry leaders will join together and challenge Texas' Congressional delegation and specifically the Houston delegation to support the Central America Free Trade Agreement at a press conference this Monday, July 18 at 10 a.m. at the Port of Houston Authority.
Already approved by the Senate on a bipartisan basis, the House of Representatives is likely to vote on the trade deal in the coming days. Approval in the House sends the deal to the President's desk. The trade pact is expected to create 3,000 new jobs for Texas during its first year and an additional 16,000 in its first decade.
Texas was the 3rd largest exporter to the DR-CAFTA countries sending exports totaling nearly $1.7 billion in goods last year. The Port of Houston, airport system, and over 1,200 local companies employing thousands of the workers in our region already doing business in Central America would benefit under this agreement.
What: CAFTA Press Conference and Rally
Who: Congressmen Brady, McCaul, Port of Houston Chairman Jim
Edmonds, Greater Houston Partnership CEO Jeff Moseley, Houston
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce CEO Iris Correa and others
When: Monday, July 18 at 10:00 a.m.
Where: Port of Houston Authority -- Executive Office Board Room
4th Floor
111 E. Loop North (exit 29 off East Loop 610)
Houston, Texas
DUE TO HEIGHTENED SECURITY REQUIREMENTS, MEDIA ACCESS WILL BE STRICTLY LIMITED TO THE DESIGNATED PHA LOCATION. ALL MEDIA PERSONNEL MUST PRESENT CURRENT PHOTO IDENTIFICATION UPON ENTRANCE.
The Port of Houston Authority logo can be found at: http://media.primezone.com/prs/single/?pkgid=720
The Port of Houston Authority owns and operates the public facilities located along the Port of Houston, the 25-mile long complex of diversified public and private facilities designed for handling general cargo, containers, grain and other dry bulk materials, project and heavy lift cargo, and other types of cargo. Each year, more than 6,000 vessels call at the port, which ranks first in the U.S. in foreign waterborne tonnage, second in overall total tonnage, and sixth largest in the world. The Port Authority plays a vital role in ensuring navigational safety along the Houston Ship Channel, which has been instrumental in Houston's development as a center of international trade. The Barbours Cut Container Terminal and Central Maintenance Facility are the first of any U.S. port facilities to develop and implement an innovative Environmental Management System that meets the rigorous standards of ISO 14001. Additionally, the port is an approved delivery point for Coffee "C" futures contracts traded on the New York Board of Trade's Coffee, Sugar & Cocoa Exchange. For more information, please visit www.portofhouston.com