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February, 1981 TASI Promotes Trade In Steel (See Page17) Daily Grind Starts At New Barite Mill (See Page 15) Port of Houston Magazine

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Page 1: Port of Houston Magazine

February, 1981

TASI PromotesTrade In Steel

(See Page 17)

Daily Grind StartsAt New Barite Mill

(See Page 15)

Port of Houston Magazine

Page 2: Port of Houston Magazine

ContainersAre Cheaper%Via ThePort of Houston

It is definitely cheaper to shipyour containers through the Port ofHouston than the other major Gulfport serving the heartland of theUnited States. This includes allimport and export cargoes movingunder the new TOFC/COFC Plan IIIrates, Freight All Kinds. This is oneof the ways you can save by usingthe Port of Houston. Please ask usfor the facts before your nextshipment.

This map outlines the Heartland of the UnitedStates, where you can positively save time and moneyby shipping via the Port of Houston. Don’t overlookthe important fact that to and from the area West ofthe Rockies, you will find the Port of Houston moreeconomical than other Gulf or Atlantic ports for manymovements on inland as well as mini-bridge cargoes.

WY

SD

NB

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OK

TEXAS

PORT OF HOUSTON ~-

PORT OFHOUSTON

P.O. Box 2562, Houston, Tx 77001 Phone (713) 225-0671East Coast Field Office: 60 East 42nd St., New York 10165

Port of Houston Magazine

Page 3: Port of Houston Magazine

ANOTHER FINEORGANIZATION IS:

Our many satisfied andloyal customers know ofour harbor tug service inHouston and other Texasports.

We can please YOUR shipowners,shipmasters, pilots, and agents. Giveus the opportunity.

We offer the safety, know-how,promptness and dependability youneed.

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HELP!Here are the answers to even the

tough questions about inflation -whatit rs and what we can do about it. Andyour copy ps free

Bulk orders are ideal for distributionin compantes or schools.

Write now--right now!

~1A public service message ot the U S DepartmentsolAgncutture Commerce Labor and Treasuryme Advert~sm9 Gounod and th~s magazsne

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I P.O. Box 2157, New York, N.Y. 10001 I

I Please send me m/rre~ (op? of Dollars and ISerlse ’/our ’r/flahor~ ?u~deand ,r/forma

I tlor/ regarding buLK quant,t,es I

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ITT TUGS are pleased to donate thisspace to tell others about something

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INTRACOASTAL TOWING& TRANSPORTATION CORP

Houston ¯ Galveston ¯ Freeport ¯ Corpus Christi

February, 1981 3

Page 4: Port of Houston Magazine

Our facihties on the Houston Ship Channe

Cut downtime with full topside repair,cleaning, and oil spill services!

We’ve got the experienced personnel to solve your problem.,, any day, any time, in port or at sea.

Gulf coast servicerepresentatives for:Diesel Propulsion

SUI.ZER1"4 oAo NBURMEISTER & WAIN

RefrigerationEMAILCARRIER TRANSlCOLD

CranesLIEBHERR

Marine Maintenance Industries RO.

Full service: dockside,at sea, overseas.Foreign diesel repairsCentrifugal rebabbittingElectronic and automatedsystems repairsMotor and generatorrewindingBoiler repairs and steelworkCertified gear testingTank cleaning and oil spillrecovery

Complete facilities forany job.Machine and boilermakershops with largelathes, mills and pressesBearing shopElectrical and motorrewind shopLay berth with utilitiesCrane barge, tug, andworkboats

Full stock of portableequipment.GeneratorsCompressorsGangwaysPumpsWeldersBoom and winch trucksVacuum trucks

~lf’SI N C E 1910

Box5455 ̄ 8201 Cypress at Broadway, Houston, Texas 77012 ¯ (713) 928-5911 ¯ Telex 792 769 ̄ TWX 910 881 6225Galveston 1802 Mechanic, Galveston, Texas 77550 ° (713) 762-7785

Divisions: HARRISBURG MACHINE COMPANY ¯ CLEAN CHANNEL INDUSTRIES

Narine Nai chance ~ndustries17131 928-5911

Page 5: Port of Houston Magazine

The Port of Houston Magazine

Port CommissionersAnd Staff

FENTRESS BRACEWELI, ChairmanW.D. HADEN, II, CommissionerMRS MARCEl LAD. PERRY, CommissionerJOHN H. GARRETT, CommissionerHOWARD J. ,v|IDDLETON, Commissioner

RICHARD P. LEACH, E*:ecutive DirectorJ.R. Cu RTIS, Director t~f Port Operations

TED WALTERS. Asst. Director of Port OperatumsW.D. DUNNAHOE, Manager t~l Port Operations.Furnme BasinCAPT. R.G. EA(iAN, ~.tana~er t~/ Port Operations,Barhours Cut and Baypr~rt TerminalsW.E. G RE E R..~Vlanager, Grain Ele vat orLESLIE J. SANDERFER, Manager, Bidk MatertalgHandling PlantA. MONROE BEAN, Manager, Storage 14 arehouse~

A.J.M. VAN DE VEN. Matntename SuperintendentLOUIS F. BROWN, JR.. Manager, ~larme. t-ireand SafetyCLAUDE BARTH, Manager. Se~urtt~

c.m. ROUSSER, JR.. Director of Trade Development

BASH J. FINN, General Sale~ VlanagerLEON UTTERBAC K, Eastern Sales ManagerJACK WOJEWNIK, A.sst. Eastern Sales ManagerROBERT PERROTTA, Midwestern Soles ManagerDAVID W. SIMPSON, 14"estern Sales ManagerJOSE ARTURO CASTELLANOS, Sales RepresentativeTED SUMERLIN, Com.mumcaltons ManagerDON lULl O. Assistant to Communications,VlanagerEDWARD L. HORN, Public Relatlon~ Manager

NORMAN E. HUENI, Director of EngineeringTOM KORNEGAY, Chief Engineer

F. WILLIAM COLBURN, Director of AdministrationLINDA REESE, ControllerALTON B. LANDRY, Personnel ManagerandWorld Trade Building ManagerE.G. SEAMAN, .Vlanager¢~/RealLstateBETTY GARRETT, Managert)fPurcha~ingAI.GENITA SCOTT DAVIS, Counsel

MICHAEL SCORCIO. D rector of CornrnumtyRelation~

S.C. FULLERTON. County Auditor

EXECUTIVE OFFICES1519 Capitol Avenue, Houston, Texas 77002

P.O. Box 2562, Houston, Texas 77001Telephone: (713) 225-0671

TWX: 910-~81-5787

TERMINAL OFFICESTurning Basin: (713) 672-8221Barbours Cut: (713) 470-1800

NEW YORK OFFICE60 East 42nd. Street, New York 10165

Telephone: (212) 867-2780

~’~ Port of Houstoni~ ~ Official PublicatiOn

~ /~’-’ ~] Authority

February, 1981

Volume 25 Number 2 February, 1981

IN THIS ISSUE

Making A Big Splash--Never mind that AmericanAtlantic Lines is a small carrier operating small ships;their presence is being felt in Brazil and the Caribbean. 11Barite Mill Begins Daily Grind--A new industry onthe Houston Ship Channel hopes to grind out a profitby turning big rocks into powder that goes intodrilling mud. 15TASI Keeping Gates Open--The Texas Association ofSteel Importers plays a vital role in keeping Americanmarkets open to imported steel. 17Latin American Oilmen Honored--The Port ofHouston Authority recently hosted representatives ofLatin American National oil companies on a tourof the Houston Ship Channel. 19Transportation Observations--The State of Texasand the Texas Railroad Commission file suit contestingprovisions of the Staggers Railroad Act. 21Down Mexico Way--Shippers, freight forwarders andgovernment officials in this increasingly importantcountry were told the advantages of shipping throughthe Port of Houston at a recent luncheon. ~

The Cover

The 75-story Texas Commerce Tower under construction in downtown Houstonmakes an interesting backdrop of the M/V ANTILLIA which recentlyinaugurated American Atlantic Lines service to the Caribbean and Brazil. Formore information on American Atlantic’s new ships and new service, see Page 11.

The Port of Houston MagazineTED SUMERLIN, Editor

ED HORN, Associate Editor

THE PORT OF HOUSTON MAGAZINE (ISSN 0032-4825) is published monthly by the Portof Houston Authority and is distributed free to maritime, industrial and transportation interests inthe United States and foreign countries. This publication is not copyrighted and permission isgiven for the reproduction or use of any original material, provided credit is given to the Port ofHouston. Additional information, extra copies or advertising rates may be obtained by writing thePORT OF HOUSTON MAGAZINE. Application to mail at Controlled Circulation rates ispending at Austin, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address change to Port of Houston Magazine,

P.O. Box 2562, Houston, Texas 77001.

Page 6: Port of Houston Magazine

I]l:lllllHIj" PACKED

IS I]I!IilIIHII-BACKEDLocation: Houston Ship ChannelNo location on earth is more appropriate forthe leader in packing for worldwide ship-ment. We’re just off Interstate Highway 10in the heart of the Port of Houston and notfar from Houston Intercontinental Airport,where there’s another full-service Behringfacility to serve you.

Facilities: People and Machines

25 acres of storage space for your cargo, asit is carefully inventoried, documented andpackaged. Computerized reporting provideson-the-spot status of your project anytime,all the time.

INTERNATIONALEXPORT PACKERS, INC.15630 Jacintoport Blvd Telephone: (713) 452 7172PO Box 96147 Telecopier: (713) 452-2963Houston, Texas 77015 Telex: 79-2688

Port of Houston Magazine

Page 7: Port of Houston Magazine

Itg nice to have friendswhen you’re new in town.

The less familiar the town, the more youneed someone you can really depend on. And that’sprecisely why you need Torm.

Because at Torm, we have our very ownpeople, just where you need them most.

On Torm Mediterranean Line, for example,you’ll find Torm representatives in such vital ports asPort Said and Alexandria. And Torm West AfricanLine has its own man in Lagos.

These men do more than know the locallanguages and customs. They know shipping - andform a vital part of the same network that has madeTorm the dependable choice for the last 80 years.

What’s more, because Torm specializes inshipping containers to non-containerized ports, youhave yet another guarantee that even in relativelynew and unknown areas, we know our way around.

And when you consider that we also haveour own Port Captains in the US, and our own CargoSuperintendent on board every ship, it should beclear that wherever your cargo is headed you’realways among friends with Torm.

Torm Mediterranean Line sails from the Gulf

and the American East Coast for Tunis, Valletta,Beirut, Alexandria and Port Said, with calls at otherports, every 16-18 days. And Torm West African Linesails from the same US ports to Monrovia, Abidjan,Lagos, Warri, Douala and others, every 28- 30 days.

So why trust your goods to strangers, whenyou can rely on Torm.

TORM LINESWe set the standard, i

February, 1981 7

Page 8: Port of Houston Magazine

Jacintoport

Roll-on Roll-off Ramp

Heavy Duty Barge Crane Available

1606 Clinton Drive, Galena Park,TX 77547 (713) 672-8385Jacintoport (713) 452-4591

D~kside Storage Area for Project Shipments-GoodpastureTerminal

Container On-Off Loading

We’ve expanded and modernizedour two private terminals to morequickly handle ships with up to 38’draft. Special equipment and facil-ities include five 300-ton cranes, adockside crating complex, and aroll-on, roll-off ramp.

Containers, general cargo, roll-onroll-off, heavy lift and bulk loading.Shippers Stevedoring can handle anyjob you have. And we can handle itanywhere in the Port of Houston.

For project shipments, we offer adockside storage area of 40 acres.

Whatever you have to ship, wher-ever you need it done, put the load on us.

SHIPPERSSTEVEDORING

COMPANY

Five 300- Ton Mobile Cranes

Modular Home Capabilities.

Jerry McManus, PresidentB.M. "Bruno" Salesi, Manager

Ted Dugey, Jr., Jacintoport Manager

8 Port of Houston Magazine

Page 9: Port of Houston Magazine

%%

u.s.u.s.

U.So GULF

U.S.

,~CE

U.S, GULFSERVICE

Hapag-Lloyd U.S. GullOur New Face

in the GullWith super service

as usual!We’re now Hapag-Lloyd U.S. Gulf Service. And we still offer first-class containerservice on our first-rate containerships: ERLANGEN EXPRESS, HOECHSTEXPRESS, LEVERKUSEN EXPRESS and LUDWIGSHAFEN EXPRESS.Sailing weekly between Houston and New Orleans and major European ports.Serving Miami and Mobile every other week. We have plenty of containers ofall types. Strong intermodal and thru-traffic capabilities. Expert cargo handlingskills. And we’re still teamed with Biehl & Company, a leading Gulf agent formany decades. Hapag-Lloyd U.S. Gulf Service. Always ready to serve youdependably, efficiently and quickly!

General Agent: Biehl & CompanyNew Orleans (504) 581-7788 ¯ Houston (713) 688-7700

Agents: United States Navigation, Inc. United States Navigation (Pacific) Inc.New York (212) 269-6000 San Francisco (415) 956-0500Chicago (312) 346-8360 Los Angeles (213) 627-9051

Additional agents in key U.S. and Canadian cities.

February, 1981 9

Page 10: Port of Houston Magazine

We’re strong ondouble coverage.

Yale &Taylor.

You’ve got a whole lot to pick from with Briggs-Weaver.Because we’ve got the largest and most diversified

line of lift trucks in the southwest. Yale and Taylor. Tobuy, finance or lease with a variety of rental options.

But Briggs-Weaver is not just lift trucks. Our inventoryincludes railcar movers, spotting tractors and personnelvehicles to name only three. And we supply special en-gines, transmissions, tires, heavy-duty air cleaners andspecial lift attachments for pipe, steel, lumber, concreteand containers.

With six Texas warehouses and our inter-store over-night delivery, over 90% of the parts orders can be filledwithin 24 hours from stock on hand. t~,

So if you’re in the mar-ket for lift trucks, or onlylift truck parts or service,choose the best of the lot.Briggs-Weaver. Texas’largest materials handl-ing equipment dealer.

OUR NAME CARRIES A LOT OF WEIGHT,Beaumont ¯ Dallas ° Fort Worth ̄ Houston ̄ Jasper ° San Antonio

10 Port of Houston Magazine

Page 11: Port of Houston Magazine

A merican A tlan tic

Making Big Splash

In Caribbean, Brazil

It’s a small company, operating small ships butit is making a big splash in the U.S./Caribbean-South America service.

The company is the American Atlantic Line,which recently inaugurated a new service from thePort of Houston to Belem, Manaus and otherAmazon River ports, Barbados, Trinidad,Guyana and Surinam.

The service is operated with three ships: TheM/V AMERICA, M/V ANTILLIA and the M/VAMAZONIA. All of these vessels fly the UnitedStates flag and were designed to meet the variedneeds of the Caribbean and South Americantrades.

The size and design of the ships make themparticularly well-suited for calls at shallow draftports with limited facilities. They have high cargoflexibility and are designed for fast turnarounds.Each ship requires a crew of only 10, which resultsin lower operating costs.

The vessels can accommodate refrigeratedcargo in both the large reefer spaces and in refrig-erated containers. They can lift-on/lift-off both20- and 40-foot containers, since many of the portsof call do not have facilities for container handling.

The ships each displace 2,000 dwt with a bale

Antillia Designed Especially For Its Service

capacity of 134,000 cubic feet and they can carryup to 100 teu containers. The ships can handlebreakbulk, and refrigerated cargoes as well as con-tainers.

"American Atlantic Lines is engaged inongoing research in cargo handling techniques toprovide our shippers with the most economicalmethods of handling breakbulk throughpalletizing and unitizing cargo," said Ron Rasmus,President and Managing Director.

"This is important to islanders, because in atrade development economy, such as theCaribbean, the cost of shipping has a directimpact upon the price of basic necessities."

The Caribbean has a wide variety of portfacilities. The Leeward and Windward Islands are

February, 1981 11

Page 12: Port of Houston Magazine

Maritime~Industrial Center

Emergency RoomPhysician On DutyOpen 24-Hours7 days a week

SICK CALLON BOARD SHIPBY APPOINTMENT

Out-Patient Services Available

Surgery - General, Vascular, OrthopedicsEye, Ear, Nose & ThroatFamily PracticePodiatry (foot)Glasses fittedPharmacyImmunizations

PsychiatryDental - Oral SurgeryLaboratory - X-Ray and EKG’sMedical - Internal medicine and cardiologyPre-employment and annual examinationsEmergency care

80R~mBAS~ 8m~ORZA& mOmPZTA&Specializing In Maritime Medicine

.~ Call J.J. Fanguy For Information .~

8214 Homestead Road Houston, Tx 77028~’~111 I III

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(713)631-1550

Port of Houston Magazine

Page 13: Port of Houston Magazine

essentially designed for breakbulk handling, whileothers such as Barbados and Trinidad havecontainer handling capacity. The larger ports, likeKingston, are equipped for highly automatedcargo handling.

Because of this variety of capabilities,American Atlantic Lines has placed emphasis onfleet flexibility. In addition to the service from theU.S. Gulf, the line provides a liner service fromthe East Coast with two container ships with acapacity of 124 teu’s and one container ship with acapacity of 108 teu’s. These vessels are registeredunder the Cayman Islands (British) flag.

The decision to operate the three new shipsunder the U.S. flag does have patrioticmotivations, although it was not made for thatreason alone, Mr. Rasmus said in his speech at thelaunching of the AMERICA.

"This vessel is a tangible symbol of our beliefthat American flag liner vessels can compete in thesmaller ship market in the United States’ foreigncommerce, "Mr. Rasmus said.

In addition to the patriotic reasons, there is an-other more practical reason behind the move: themanagement believes that there has been a resur-

gence of U.S. business in the Caribbean area ingeneral as the U.S. Government attempts to fill thecommercial and financial gap left by the with-drawal of Britain from its colonies in the area.

"Before, there was an unnatural buyingpattern in the Caribbean with strong links to theMother Country," Mr. Rasmus said. "This isnow shifting from the U.K. to the U.S. markets."

American Atlantic hopes to capitalize on the factthat it is virtually the only U.S. line operating tonorthern Brazil. The management foresees the riseof bilateralism and cargo sharing pools in the areawith third-flag ships eligible to compete for only20 per cent of the trade between the U.S. and SouthAmerica. American Atlantic has requested per-mission from the Federal Maritime Commissionfor a "talking agreement" to enable the line toform a pool for northern Brazil with Frota Ama-zonica, the Brazilian flag carrier.

"This is just the beginning," said Mr. Rasmus,who has ordered full speed ahead.

Agent for the American Atlantic Lines in theU.S. Gulf is the Gulf and Eastern Steamship &Chartering Corporation. General Agent is Chester,Blackburn & Roder (N.Y.), Inc.

Cargo Of Lumber From Brazil Discharged From Hold of Antillia In Port of Houston

February, 1981 13

Page 14: Port of Houston Magazine

ANCHORAGE0 VALDEZ

Q

KETCH KAN ̄

ANCOUVER BCOSEATTLEO

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ENSENADAO

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SAINTJOHN NBOOHALIFAX

MONTREALTORONTO qTnOBOu.~N

CRA.NFEIROBEARBORN 00 NEW YORK

M, LWAUK.EE" 0 , 4APH~MADELPH’A

CHItAGO CLEVELAND

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ATLANTA ¯ CHARLESTONOSAVANNAH

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MAZATLAN ¯ OTAM PICO

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QACAPULCO

When it comes to comprehensive service, KerrSteamship Company, Inc., has the edge over itscompetitors hands down. The professional personnelstaffing our extensive network of offices in the majorports and hinterland market cities of North Americaare in constant communication to cut the red tapeout of your cargo movements. If you need a bill of

lading released in Atlanta, Anchorage or Acapulco,we can do it. If you have a special cargo handlingproblem in Boston, Baltimore or British Columbia,we can solve it. If you have a sales lead in Charleston,Chicago or Cranford, we can pursue it. No matterwhere you are, or your problem is, Kerr has youcovered.

STEAMSHIP COMPANY, INC.

Steamship Agents, Terminal Operators, Stevedores

Suite 5130, One Shell SquareNew Orleans, La. 70139Telephone: (504) 566-0500TWX: 810-951-5030

American General Tower, Suite 15002727 Allen ParkwayHouston, Texas 77019Telephone: (713} 521-9600 ̄ TWX: 910-881-2753

14 Port of Houston Magazine

Page 15: Port of Houston Magazine

Uni Minerals mill makes big rocks into littlepowder that is the principal ingredient of oil welldrilling mud.

Daily Grind BeginsA t New Barite Mill

By ED HORNCracking rocks is something convicts

are supposed to do with sledgehammers, but it can be a profitablebusiness when the rocks are barite, theprincipal constituent of oil well drillingmud.

Driven by that expectation, GerryGibb, a relentless Rhodesian, has takentwo rejuvenated rock-crushing millsand made them the core of a modern,well-designed plant on the HoustonShip Channel.

Operations began in late Decemberat the plant on a 2.62-acre site leasedfrom the Port of Houston Authority atthe public Bulk Materials HandlingPlant. Owned by Uni MineralsCorporation, the new plant can grindbarite ore into powder at the rate of 15tons per mill per hour.

In full production, the plant willoperate 20 hours per day an average of25 days per month and produce 15,000tons of barite monthly. Peter Starling,

plant manager, said the mill willreceive approximately 20,000 tons ofore through the Bulk MaterialsHandling Plant about every six weeks.The ore will be shipped in from Taiwanand Nevada.

Principal customers, Mr. Gibb said,will be independent drilling mudmanufacturers in Texas and Louisiana.

Drilling mud serves severalfunctions; it lubricates the bit, removescuttings from the hole, and maintainspressure in the well and the formationbeing drilled. To be acceptable underAmerican Petroleum InstituteStandards for use in drilling mud, 97°7oof a barite sample must pass through a200 sieve--one containing 200openings per square inch.

With a specific gravity of 4.2, thematerial is also used in manufacturingpaint and in concrete use in theconstruction of radiation barriers.

Uni Minerals is a joint venture of

Uni-Bar Corporation, an independentsupplier of barite ore, and of DeepService, Inc., an oil well supplycompany owned by Mr. Gibb.

An immigrant in August 1978, Mr.Gibb quickly made several discoveries:

1. When he could get barite for DeepService, he had to pay cash.

2. Supplies of both ore and baritewere tight.

3. With a record number of drillingrigs working, a steady increase indrilling mud demand is expected.

Weighing these facts, Mr. Gibbdecided to begin producing barite,which sells at wholesale for around$120 per ton, in his own plant.

Despite initial difficulty in obtainingcredit, he had acquired two 60-inchRaymond mills in Chicago by the endof 1978, less than five months after hearrived in the United States. He thenentered into his initial lease with thePort Authority and visited severalforeign countries to contract for oresupplies.

Clearance of the plant site was begunin March of 1980 and construction wascompleted last November.

Mr. Gibb’s account of hisnegotiations with the Port Authorityillustrates the pragmatic, imaginativeapproach to problem-solving thathelped to get the mill into operationless than 18 months after he landed inthe U.S. "with seven suitcases, threekids, a wife and no credit."

Told the Authority had no siteavailable which met his specifications,Mr. Gibb studied an aerial photo mapon the wall, pointed to a bare spot, andinquired about it. "Richard Leach(Port Authority Executive Director)said he could not remember anyoneever asking about that property, not in20 years," Mr. Gibb reported.

"I told him, ’Well, that’s theproperty I want,’ " said the immigrantentrepreneur, who has applied for U.S.citizenship.

The new barite mill now sits on thatspot, in the middle of the teardrop-shaped rail loop at the BulkPlant--and Mr. Gibb says the site isperfect.

February, 1981 15

Page 16: Port of Houston Magazine

New, direct liner service!

%

General AgentsCOMBINED MARITIME AGENCIES INC

39 Broadway New York NY 10006Tel 212 344-4500

Northeast Coast/Canada

SMITH & JOHNSON (SHIPPING), INC.

New York (212) 344-4500Chicago (312) 655-0764

treal (514) 845-5201

GulfBIEHL & COMPANY

Houston (713) 688-7700New Orleans (504) 58]-7788

Dallas (2]4) 748-3318Memphis (901) 525-8725Mobile (205) 432-1605

South AtlanticHARRINGTON & COMPANY

Miami (305) 358-5621 /Atlanta (404) 321-55~j/~

16 Port of Houston Magazine

Page 17: Port of Houston Magazine

Houston trade statistics listnumerous categories of it: IRON ORSTEEL, PWDRS, SHOT; WIRE RODOF IRON, STEEL; IRON & STEEL,ANGLES, SHAPES; IRON & STEEL,PLATES, SHEETS; IRON & STEEL,HOOP & STRIP, etc., etc...

Iron and steel products they arecalled, and more of them are importedthrough the Port of Houston thanthrough any other United States port,year in and year out. In recent years,the value of Houston steel imports hasbeen around $1 billion and the volumearound 3 million tons, making it thesecond largest import at the Port ofHouston in each category.

Helping to make sure that GulfCoast regional markets stay open toimported steel as much as possible isthe Texas Association of SteelImporters.

Houston-based, the organization iscomposed of 60 to 70 individuals, mostof them representatives of foreign steelmills and American and foreigntrading companies. The membershipalso includes representatives of suchrelated enterprises as transportationcompanies, freight forwarders, steelservice centers and the like. Someresidents of Dallas and Corpus Christiare members. President of theassociation for 1981 is Don Abston,Sales Manager, Jacinto Steel Company.

TASI Keeping GatesOpen For One Of Port’sMost Vital Cargoes

DON ABSTONTASI President

Imported steel had a difficult timepenetrating the American marketplaceuntil 1959 and the beginning of acrippling 116-day strike in the domesticsteel industry.

No sooner had the domestic industrybegun recovering than the importedsteel representatives found themselvesfaced with a challenge which promptedthese independent, "friendly"competitors to organize TASI.

On July 7, 1960, the Texas HighwayCommission passed an order whichprohibited the use of imported steel inall state highway construction projects.The order in itself did not seriouslyinjure the steel importers even though44°70 of the reinforcing bars and 95°70of the prestressed wire strand beingused in construction at the time of theorder was imported.

However, the Texas HighwayDepartment was world famous for itsmaterials and test section.

"The importers knew," according toa history prepared by TASI Attorney

Battery Of Trucks, Cranes Moves Steel Quickly

William B. Dazey, "that the orderimplied that imported steel wassomehow inferior to steelmanufactured in the United States andwould result in a substantialcurtailment of sales."

TASI sued the Texas HighwayCommission and succeeded, in theappellate courts, in nullifying theorder. Protecting and promoting theinterests of steel importers remains theprincipal reason for TASI’s existence.

To this end, the association monitorsU.S. Customs regulations andproposed legislation at the state andfederal levels, cooperating at the latterwith the American Institute ofImported Steel.

Steel imported through Houston ismarketed throughout Texas, NewMexico, Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas,the Midwest, and even Louisiana. Mr.Abston said Louisianans buy steel inHouston because more items and moretonnage are available from the steelcenters here.

He points out that many jobs dependon imports, including those oflongshoremen, truckers, rail workers,warehouse men and steel service centeremployees as well as those of peoplewho fabricate the steel into endproducts.

"American steel mills sell largequantities to the big fabricators," Mr.Abston said. "Steel service centers sellto the smaller users; it’s a servicebusiness."

February, 1981 17

Page 18: Port of Houston Magazine

Send us your card stapled to this ad.We’ll put our Port of Houston facilitiesin your hand. FREE.

Get the facts, then let’s get together.Manchester Terminal and our affiliatedManchester Stevedoring offer threedocks for ocean-going vessels; accessto a fully-equipped container yard;open area storage for steel products andmachinery; storage warehouses forcotton, bagged and drummed goods;direct rail access to all warehousesand docks; stevedoring service for allcargoes. And there’s a lot more. Sendfor our comprehensive new full colorbrochure. See it and then see usfor complete cargo handling in thePort of Houston.

mFIAHCHESllBR~~mmCHESrER~MANCHESTER TERMINAL COMPANY AND MANCHESTER STEVEDORING COMPANYA wholly-owned subsidiary of Charter International Oil Company ¯ 10,000 Manchester Street ̄ P.O. Box 5008 ̄ Houston, Texas 77012 ̄ (713)926-9631

18 Port of Houston Magazine

Page 19: Port of Houston Magazine

Arpel MembersTour Port

Members of ARPEL, an association comprised of LatinAmerican state oil company representatives, toured the Portof Houston recently aboard the M~ V SAM HOUSTON, the

port’s inspection vessel. The group, hosted by the Port ofHouston Authority, got a first hand look at the port’sfacilities and enjoyed a barbecue dinner aboard the vessel.Members of ARPEL have individual offices located inHouston. Some of the members of ARPEL are pictured,with identifications made from left to right.

Ing. Luis Lombeida, Corporacion EstatalPetrolera Ecuatoriana; Tomas Mina, PetroleosMexicanos (Pemex); Ing. Carlos Montes Oca, Corporacion Estatal PetroleraEcuatoriana (CEPE); Ing. Pablo Alvarado,Corp. Estatal Petrolera Equatoriana (CEPE);Ing. Patricio Saenz, Corp. Estatal PetroleraEcuatoriana (CEPE); Lie. Manuel Acu~a,Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex).

John H. Shoaf, Houston Chamber ofCommerce; Ing. Juan A. Escobar, Petroperu;Hugo Silva, Petroperu.

Lic Manuel Acufia, Petroleos Mexicanos(Pemex); Ing. Luis Lombeida, Corp. EstatalPetrolera Ecuatoriana; Ing. Carlos Uria,Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos(YPFB); Ing. Pablo AIvarado, Corp. EstatalPetrou; Ing. Carlos Montes de Oca, Corp.Estatal Petrolera Ecuatoriana (CEPE); Ing.Patricio Saenz (CEPE); Javier A. Caeeres,Petroperu.

J. Arturo Castellanos, Port of HoustonAuthority; David Yabo, YacimientosPetroliferos Fiscales Argentina (YPF); CarlosYabo, Carlos Montes de Oca, CorporacionEstatal Petrolera Ecuatoriana (CEPE); PabloAlvarado, Corporacion Estatal PetroleraEcuatoriana (CEPE); Javier Caceres,Petroperu; Mrs. Barbara Lezar, HoustonChamber of Commerce.

February, 1981 19

Page 20: Port of Houston Magazine

Capacity. Competence.Credibility.¯ Cranes with capacities exceeding

200 tons.¯ Fork lift fleet with capacities to

80,000 pounds.¯ Specializing in steel, project, and

heavy-lift cargoes inbound andoutbound.

¯ Marshalling yard inside the Portfi)r project cargo. Steel yard forstoring or distributing steelprojects.

¯ Complete break-bulk and con-tainer services.

¯ Bonded or public warehousingand trucking facilities at subsid-iary Sea Marine Warehouse.

¯ Constant supervision at everyjob, large or small.

¯ Port Stevedoring Company isone of the largest locally ownedstevedoring companies on theGulf Coast. We invite yourinquiry.

Executive Office * 901 World Trade Bldg. ° 1520 Texas Avenue ° Houston, Texas 7700(713) 227-2173 ¯ TWX 910-881-5790Dock Office ° 8123 Plummer St. ̄ Houston, Texas 77029 ° (713) 675-2378

20 Port of Houston Magazin

Page 21: Port of Houston Magazine

T’-~AN S "~ODTATIONII

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OBSERVATIONS OF THE HOUSTON PORT BUREAU

Court Action OnRail Reform Act

The State of Texas and Railroad Commission of Texas filed suit against theUnited States of America and Interstate Commerce Commission in the UnitedStates District Court for the Western District of Texas seeking a declaratoryjudgment under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. 2201 that certain provisions of theStaggers Rail Act of 1980 are unconstitutional. Case No. A-80-CA-487 coversthe suit. The State contends that Section 214 of the Act exceeds theconstitutional power of the Federal Government and violates statesovereignty: further that Sections 201,202, and 203 of the Act violate the FifthAmendment to the Constitution.

Joint RatesFor NVOCCs

The Interstate Commerce Commission in Ex Parte 261 (Sub. No. 1), In theMatter of Tariffs Containing Joint Rates and Through Routes-FreightForwarders and Nonvessel Operating Common Carriers by Water (NVO),proposes to allow rail, motor, or Part III water carriers to enter intointernational joint rates with NVOCCs. I.C.C. has asked for comments.Purpose of the rulemoking is to allow NVOCCs to compete with freightforwarders under I.C.C. jurisdiction. Copy of Ex Parte 261 is available from theBureau.

TOFC/COFCExemption Is

Announced

The Interstate Commerce Commission postponed the effective date ofTOFC/COFC exemption until February 12. Ex Parte 230 (Sub. No. 5),Improvement of TOFC/COFC Regulation, covers the proposed exemption from1.C.C. regulation of rail TOFC/COFC shipments. Numerous parties have filedcomments with the Commission. The Bureau filed comments about the I.C.C.’sfailure to receive comments on and analyze the effect the proposed exemptionwould have on export-import traffic: also that discontinuance of tariffpublications would cause hardships in knowing what rates apply on whatdates via carriers or combination of carriers.

Off-Dock CFS UnderFMC Jurisdiction

The Federal Maritime Commission held that an off-dock container freightstation furnishing terminal facilities in connection with common carriers bywater was under their jurisdiction as an "other person" as defined in Section 1of the Shipping Act, 1916. The decision was made in Docket 79-69, RichmondTransfer and Storage Co. d/b/a Richmond Export Service and InternationalCargo Service, Possible Violations of Sections 16, First, and 17, Shipping Act,and General Order 15. RTS operated a container freight station, not adjacentto the piers, and provided terminal services for ocean common carriers similarto terminals located at the pier including container loading and unloading;terminal storage, drayage, cargo handling, packing, crating, and packaging.F.M.C. therefore requires such firms to file tariffs containing charges forservices performed in connection with common carriers by water.

February, 1981 21

Page 22: Port of Houston Magazine

n

Executives from the Port of Houston Authoritytraveled to Mexico City recently where they held areception for 13~

Representatives from major

freight forwarders, shippers andgovernment offices attended the gala reception. Withtrade between the United States and Mexico increasing,the Port of Houston Authority anticipates additionalcargo crossing its docks bound to and from Mexico.

the trade mission in addition to Port Commis-sioner Howard Middleton, Executive Director RichardLeach, Director of Trade Development C.A. Rousser,and Sales Representative Jose Arturo Castellanos wererepresentatives from several Houston firms.

Geraldine Conckling, Manuel Diaz De Sandi,Transportacion Maritima Mexicana (TMM); Alexand Amparo Arrollos, the Dynamic Companies(Houston); Larry Zinnermann (Houston); Roy Gonzatez, Gonzalez International Services (Houston);Richard P. Leach, Port of Houston Authority;Darrell J. Sekin, Jr., and Jaime E. Varas, bothof Darrell J. Sekin Co. (Dallas).

Jaled Saab, Mrs. Saab, Missouri PacificRailroad; Gonzalo Vera Alejandre, Mrs.Alejandre, Grupo Industrial Treboh C.A.Rousser, Port of Houston Authority; WaiterSchwarz, Mrs. Schwarz, Kuehne & Nagel;Anthony J. Graphia IV, Texas Food & Oil (SanAntonio).

James Barry Anderson. Texas IndustrialComm,ssion: Lawrence W.Y. Chiang; JesusVega Arriaga. Delfin y Cia S.A.: CesarSamperio. Mrs. Samperio. Santa Fe Railway;Enrique Rechy; Mrs. Rechy, Banpesca.

22 Port of Houston Magazine