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Volume 34 April 1991 Number 4

JAMES D. PUGHExecutive Director & CEO

H. THOMAS KORNEGAYManaging Director

DONALD ALLEEDirector of Trade Development

JAMES E. BAKERDirector of Port Operations

E. WILLIAM COLBURNDirector of Economic Development

ANTERO W. HIETALADirector of International Market

Development

PERRY McGEEDirector of Facilities

LINDA S. REESEDirector of Administration

JASON SIMPSONDirector of Protective Services

JOE F. FLACKCounty Auditor

~OfficialPublicationPort ofHoustonAuthority

THE PORT OF HOUSTON MAGAZINE is publishedmonthly by the Port of Houston Authority, 1519Capitol Ave., Houston, Texas 77002, and isdistributed free to maritime, industrial andtransportation interests in the United States andfbreign countries. POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to PORT OF HOUSTON MAGAZINE,P.O. Box 2562, Houston, TX 77252-2562. Themagazine staff includes: CommunicationsManager, Jeffield Jefferson; Editor, AnnBordelon; Advertising Sales/Production, SheilaAdams; Artist/Production Coordinator, KenBurke; Writer, Susan Humphrey; Photographer,Ray Soto; and Secretary, Mary Cortinas. Thispublication is not copyrighted and permissionis given for the reproduction or use of anyoriginal materials, provided credit is given tothe Port of Houston Authority. Additional infor-mation, extra copies or advertising rates maybe obtained by writing the PORT OF HOUSTONMAGAZINE.

Page 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Houston: an international cityPort of Houston is a major asset

4

An international eventJapan to be honored at annual festival

9

European Community Single MarketU.S. envoy says it will be in place by 1992

11

Operation Desert StormHouston is top equipment port

14

DEPARTMENTS

Port Tidings

Port Side

Liner Services

13

31

34

Executive Offices1519 Capitol AvenueP.O. Box 2562Houston, TX 77252-2562Tel: (713) 226-2100TWX: 910-881-5787Telecopier: (713) 226-2134

Field Offices60 East 42nd StreetNew York, NY 10165Tel: (212) 867-2780Fax: (212) 983-2746

PORT COMMISSIONERS

ON THE COVER

The City of Houston has become a mec-ca for international business, attractingforeign investment and providing ahome base for scores of U.S. companiesthat do business internationally. ThePort of Houston is a major asset in at-tracting new industry.

Torre KLM, Pent HouseAvda. Romulo GallegosSanta EduvigisCaracas 1071, VenezuelaCountry & City Number:58-2Tel: 283-1489Fax: 283-2067Telex: 25541, 27244

NED HOLMES H.J. MIDDLETON MILTON CARROLL ROBERT GILLETTE LEROY BRUNER C.C. SMITHERMAN J. MICHAEL SOLARChairman Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner

W hen Nippon l’etrochemi-

cals announced plans tobuild a solvent manufac-turing plant on the

l|oustoll Ship Channel, the ttoustonbusiness corn m unity rejoiced.

The mood brightened furtherwhen, within months, MitsubishiRayon announced that it, to(), wouldbuild a chemical plant in the area.

Nippon and Mitsubishi are twoprime examples of something Hous-ton boosters have long known: Thecity has heconm a mecca of interna-tional business activity.NEW PLAYERS Foreign investment ison the upswing iri Houston. In 1988,f’oreign investment transactions inthe city almost doubled over theprevious year, according to the U.S.I)e|)artment of Comnmrce. In recentyears, foreign firms have invested in1 |oustoil companies such as l’anhan-die Eastern, Tenneco, (]SX Oil ~;~ Gas4

and the Warwick Hotel, to name afew. Foreign companies currentlyown a fifth of |touston’s downtownoffice space.

The top foreign inventor in Texasis Japan. Nippon’s and Mitsubishi’splants -- both located at Bayport In-dustrial Park- will give Houstonthe highest concentration of Ja-panese chemical firms at a singleU.S. site.

More than 620 firms representing51 nations have offices in ftouston.Sixty-one foreign banks represent-ing 16 countries have offices in thecity.

Houston is experiencing what hasbecome a national trend. Foreign in-vestment in the United States in-creased throughout the 1980s, andthe U.S. Department of Commerceexpects the trend to continue.ltoustonians are hardly surprisedthat their city has been a leadingbeneficiary.

HOUSTON OFFERINGS "The businessclimate here is very conducive togrowth, it’s not designed to filterpeople out of the system. It’s de-signed to bring them into the sys-tem," says Saadat Syal, vice presi-dent of international marketing forthe Greater Houston Partnership’sEconomic Development Division.The Economic Development Divi-sion’s main task is to create jobs inHouston; to do so, division represen-tatives often travel abroad, spreadingthe word about the adwmtages of do-ing business in Houston.

"When companies are thinkingabout doing business in Houston, thebottom line is can they make moneyhere, can they buy products here,can they move their products, canthey take care of financial transac-tions here, obtain visas," Syal says."They’re looking for the best inter-national infrastructure."

Houston’s infl~astructure includesa sizable consular corps. With 57consular offices in the city, ttou-ston’s corps ranks fifth in the UnitedStates and is the largest in the U.S.South and Southwest.WORLD-CLASS PORT t touston is alsohome to the world’s sixth-largestport. Foreign trade accounts for half’of the port’s tonnage. The port rankssecond in the United States in for-eign waterborne commerce, han-dling 62.6 million tons of foreign-bound and foreign-origin (’argo in1989.

"The most successful internationalcities in the world are port cities,"Syal says. "The Port of I louston hasbeen a critical reason for [louston’sdevelopment. The port has attractedindustries that otherwise wouldn’thave developed here."AND VICE VERSA Of course, forc, ign in-vestment goes both ways, and I lou-ston companies have become in-creasingly eager to do businessoverseas. More than 570 domesticcompanies in the city are represent-ed in 108 fbreign countries./\uother760 companies in l louston have noforeign offices but are involved insome aspect of international busi-ness.

"U.S. companies have come to re-alize that, if’ they’re going to pro-gress, they’ve got to do business in-ternationally, t Iouston has done thatvery quickly -- I’d say it hapt)cned(Continued on Pg~gc 6)

mostly in the last 10 to 12 years,"says l)on Alice, director of tradedevelopment for the Port of [toustonAuthority.EXPANDING AIR SERVICE An irnportantfactor lit tim city’s internationalgrowth, says Allee, is tim increasedavailability (if international airlineservice through ftouston.

"Not that long ago, you had to flyto Los Angeles or New York first ifyou wanted to fly ovcrseas," saysAllee. "Today l touston is served bya number of airlines serving foreigndestinations, including Lufthansa,Air France, British Airways andKLM."

l louston’s airport system is seeing

growth in both the internationalcargo and passenger trades. In 1990,Houston airports handled 26 million

pounds of cargo moving betweenttouston and Japan, and 4.5 millionpounds moving between ||oustonand Latin American~Caribbean

locations.

More than 2 million internationalpassengers passed through the city’sairports in 1990, a 3.7 percent in-crease. Airlines increased service toLatin America and the Caribbean,reacting to a 23 percent increase inpassenger traffic on those routes.

In response to the growth in inter-national air traffic, the city built theMickey Leland International Air-lines Building at Houston Intercon-tinental Airport. The $95 millionfacility opened in 1990.ENERGY SAVVY t touston’s good f0rttinealso stems from its expertise in abusiness that is intcrnational innature -- the energy industry. Theenergy business in turn has attracted

other industries that also aregrowing.

"The energy industry isn’t local-ized. It’s a very internationalbusiness," says Syal. "Along with theenergy industry, we have a lot of sup-pliers. The chemical industry is alsovery international. Many foreigncompanies come here and buildplants to produce high-end productsusing local feedstocks.

"As tile chemical industry grows,we’re seeing a lot of growth in theengineering field," Syal adds."Brown & Root, Bechtel, M.W. Kel-logg -- all of these companies are in-volved in fi)reign activity and are ex-panding."

NEW HORIZONS Houstonians are quickto point out their city has successful-ly diversified into other fields during

the past decade. And -- like the ener-gy business -- these new industriesare internationally oriented. Spacetechnology, medical technology andcomputers all have strengthened

Houston’s link to the rest of theworld.

Houston has come a long waysince the days it was universallyperceived as a cattle town. The cityhas established itself as an interna-tional player, but Allee says thatcowboy image is still an asset.

"That image sets us apart fromevery other culture in the world,"Allee says. "We are a very in-dustrious group of people. We aren’taccustomed to failure. The cowboymentality -- the willingness to takerisks and a belief’ that anything ispossible-carries over into thebusiness community. And that im-presses foreign businessmen." [~

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ACL offers weekly service fromHouston and other U.S. ports toEurope.

PORT DATAMore than 41 million tons of petroleumand petroleum products moved throughthe Port of Houston in 1989. Other malorcargoes shipped through the port includegrain, orgamc chemicals, gas and ironand steel.

OVERSEAS OPPORTUNITIESThe Saudi Arabian Oil Company (SAUD1 ARAMCO), one of the world’slargest producers and exporters of oil and gas, is recruiting experiencedcandidates to meet both current and future requirements.

HARBOR PILOTSRequires a Bachelor’s in Nautical Science, Deck Officer certificate ofcompetency and 14 years’ experience in tankship or oil terminal operations.Experience must include berthing alongside piers and sea islands and 5years’ as a first class harbor pilot at a major marine oil terminal.

~RINE COATINGS INSPECTORRequires 5-10 years’ oil and/or petrochemical experience in a marineenvironment as a foreman, superintendent or inspector. Experience mustinclude wet/dry abrasive blasting techniques, and extensive experiencewith epoxies, zinc silicates, vinyls, polyurethanes and chlorinated rubbercoatings systems using all application techniques. Proficiency certificatewith NACE/BIE or equivalent membership necessary.

MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEERSRequires a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and 10 years’ experiencein the design of piping, pumps, atmospheric and low pressure tanks,pressure vessels and marine structures. Knowledge of ANSI B-31.3, API1104, AP1 550, API 620, SME Section VIII and AWSD-1 necessary; Sunflexand/or Triflex computer program experience a plus.

As a Saudi Aramco employee, you will receive a highly competitive basecompensation package, as well as a substantial expatriate premium.Additional benefits include noncontributory group life insurance, company-matched savings, free medical care at Saudi Aramco’s hospital and clinics,housing inside a company community, and extensive recreation facilitiesand activities. Your eligible children will be enrolled in company schools,comparable to U.S. private schools. There are up to 13 company holidaysannually, and you will be eligible for 36 calendar days of vacation, withround-trip airfares to the U.S. or Canada for you and your family.

For consideration send your resume/salary history to: ASC, EmploymentDept. 06K-005-1, P.O. Box 4530, Houston, Texas 77210-4530.

SAUDI ARAMCO

0 JAPAN TO BE HONORED

AN INTERNATIONAL EVENTvery year about this time, morethan 1 million people flock todowntown Houston for one ofthis country’s premier interna-

tional celebrations.

The Houston International Festival,set far April 25 to May 5, is the city’stribute to the visual and performingarts. Now in its 20th year, the festivalspotlights more than 2,000 perform-ing artists and covers 20 city blocks.

Each year the festival salutes a dif-ferent country. Japan is the 1991honoree. The City Hall courtyard indowntown t louston will be the site ofthe Matsuri ’91 Stage, featuring con-tinuous entertainment by ,Japaneseperforming artists. The festival’sseven other stages are:¯ Festival Stage, highlighting jazz,

reggae and international musicand dance;

¯ Cajun/Zydeco Stage;¯ Latin Stage;¯ World Music and Dance Stage;¯ Dance Stage;¯ Country, Folk and Bluegrass

Stage; and¯ Kids’ Block.

Concurrent with the festival will bea variety of Japanese-oriented ac-tivities throughout the city. A one-~lyconference, titled "Doing Businesswith Japan," is slated for April 25. Ad-ditionally, local schoolchildren willstudy an educational curriculum onJapan and will participate in literaryand essay contests. Local galleries,museums and office buildings willfeature exhibits of Japanese art, kites,pottery, dolls and comic books.

For festival information, call thefestival office at (713) 654-8808. Forvisitor information, call the Greaterltouston Convention and Visitors’Bureau at (800) 231-7799.

5200 HOLLISTER ¯ HOUSTON, TX 77040 ̄ (713) 690-7200REPRESENTING:

NAVIERA NEPTUNO, S.A ...........................................................Peru/Chile

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THE NATIONAL SHIPPING CO. OF SAUDI ARABIA .......................... Mid East and Far East

RICKMERS LINE ...................................................................... China

HINODE LINE ..................................................... Worldwide Heavylift Carriers

AMERICA-AFRICA-EUROPE LINE ................................................... West Africa

COMPAGNIE NATIONALE ALGERIENNE DE NAVIGATION .................... Algeria/Mediterranean

NAVINTER LINE ................................................. South Africa and Mozambique

TRANSNAVE LINE .................................................................. Ecuador

POLISH OCEAN LINES ...................................................... North Europe/U.K.

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]o

U.S. ENVOY PREDICTS

SINGLF MARKETWlLL BEPLACE BY 1992

D espite global recession andthe Persian Gulf" War,Europe will probably have aSingle Market in place by

1992, a U.S. diplomat says.Even then the European Com-

munity will face unevenly distribut-ed economic resources and a lack ofcohesive social policies, said Thomas

Niles. Niles, who is U.S. ambassadorto the European Community (EC),spoke recently before Houston’sForum Club.

Niles said the Community hasmade considerable progress towardthe Single Market, a single currencyand political and institutionalreforms. These changes, he said, willresult in a more efficient and moredemocratic European Community.DISPARATE RESOURCES A unified mone-tar}, system would present otherproblems, however, Niles said. Onecomplication would be dis-

parate economic resources."It’s important to remember that

although the European Communityis very rich, there are countries inEurope- such as Spain, Portugaland Greece- that have gross do-mestic products ranging from $4,000per capita to $8,000," he said. "Thesecountries would be considerably dis-advantaged if they were obliged tocarry out a monetary policy as strictas that of the Federal Republic ofGermany."

Niles said the Community willneed to devise some mechanism totransfer significant resources topoorer EC countries. "Redistributionof resources will be essential," hesaid.

A single currency would also posepsychological obstacles, the am-bassador said. Former British PrimeMinister Margaret Thatcher spokeoften of the British people’s attach-

THEFORUMCLUB

I Thomas Niles (left), U.S. ambassador to the European Community,recently spoke at a luncheon hosted by Houston’s Forum Club. Ni|esdiscussed the EC’s progress toward establishing a single market. Atright is Stewart Orton, moderator for the luncheon program.

merit to the pound sterling. Suchpreferences in the United Kingdomand other EC countries could makea monetary switch difficult.SOCIAL ISSUES Another obstacle theEuropean Community must face isthe need to agree on social issues.

"Social issues are among the mostdifficult ones fbr the European Com-munity in the context of the SingleMarket," Niles said. "It’s hardbecause the Single Market programand Single European Act of 1986 re-quire unanimous approval of all so-cial legislation and all directives onsocial policy."

The United Kingdom has resistedEC directives on social policies suchas working conditions, pay, retire-

ment and the role of labor unions,he said.NEW EC MEMBERS Niles told ForumClub guests he expects EC member-ship to expand by the next century.Already, Austria, Turkey, Cyprusand Malta are on the waiting list formembership consideration. Addi-tionally, Niles said, the Communityprobably will negotiate associationagreements with Czechoslovakia, Po-land and Hungary this year.

"If I could make a guess, I wouldsay that by the year 2000 the Euro-pean Community probably will have18 members and association com-mitments with most of EasternEurope."TRADE SURPLUS Total trade betweenthe United States and EC membercountries totaled $180 billion in1990, Niles said. Between 1987 and1990, U.S. trade with the Communi-ty rose from a deficit of $25 billionto a surplus of’ $5 billion. The in-crease in U.S. exports occurred most-ly in machinery, equipment, chemi-cals, electronics, data processingequipment and other high-technolo-gy products. []

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Contractors complete five improvement projectsat Barbours Cut and Turning Basin terminals

Contractors recently completedthree capital improvement andrepair projects at Fentress BraceweJIBarbours Cut Container Terminaland two projects at the TurningBasin Terminal.

Alimak Elevator Co. finished in-stalling personnel elevators onseven dockside container cranes atBarbours Cut Terminal at a cost of$754,000.

The cranes help operators do theiriobs more safely and efficiently.Before the elevators were installed,a crane operator had to climb theequivalent of a nine-story buildingto operate a crane.

Repairs to the legs on ContainerCrane No. 2 at Barbours Cut Ter-minal were completed, lerrycoMachine & Boiler Works Inc. han-dled the project, which cost$18,400. The legs were damagedwhen the crane was struck by avessel.

Wharf extension bidssought for Jacintoport

The Port of Houston Authorityrecently sought bids for lengtheningof the wharf at Jacintoport Terminal.

Vessels calling at ©mniportHouston, the automated breakbulkfacility at Jacintoport Terminal, usemuch of the available wharf space.To provide more space for othertypes of vessels, the Port Authorityplans to lengthen the wharf byabout 330 feet.

The project will cost approximate-ly $6.7 million.

In other business, the PortAuthority awarded a contract toCasteel USA Inc. to provide steelsheetpiling for the wharf extension.The sheetpiling will cost $385,O00.

Hubco Inc. finished repairingasphalt surfaces at Barbours Cut Ter-minal. The damages were the resultof routine wear. The work cost$319,700.

Hubco also completed repairs tothe pavement at Wharf 17 in the Tur-ning Basin Terminal. The 32-year-oldwharf deteriorated from routine useover the years. The work cost$693,000.

William H. Gray Construction Co.has completed construction ofsanitary sewers along the high-levelaccess road on the north side of theTurning Basin Terminal. The contrac-tor built and installed a main gravitycollection line and two lift stations.The work cost $645,300.

Port Authority adoptsenvironmental policy

The Port of Houston Authority hasadopted an environmental policy todemonstrate its commitment to con-ducting business in an environmental-ly sound and sensitive manner.

The Port Authority intends to "fulfillthe responsibilities of each generationas trustee of the environment for suc-ceeding generations," the policystates.

The Port Authority will "attain thewidest range of beneficial uses of theenvironment without degradation, riskto health or safety, or otherundesirable and unintended conse-quences."

The policy urges all PHA em-ployees, port users and lessees ofPHA property to conduct their opera-tions in compliance with the policyand federal, state and local en-vironmental regulations.

Sewer collection systemcontract goes to Calco

The Port Authority recently award-ed a contract to Calco ConstructorsInc. to build a sanitary sewer collec-tion system at the Turning BasinTerminal.

The system will serve Wharves 30and 31 and the areas around GatesA, 1 and 2. The work will cost ap-proximately $628,000.

The project is part of a five-phasesystem to redesign the terminal’ssewer system.

Bids sought for repairof crane trolley rails

Plans are under way to repairworn sections of the trolley rails onPortainer Crane 2 at the TurningBasin Terminal.

Sections of the rails on the craneboom, along which the trolleytravels, are worn due to heavy use.The Port Authority recently soughtbids for the work, which is expectedto cost up to $40,000.

Nacional picks Kerras Gulf route agent

Companhia Maritima Nacional hasselected Kerr Steamship Co. as U.S.agent for its Brazil-U.S. Gulf service.

Nacional Line is a privatelyowned Brazilian line that has beentrading between Brazil and U.S. Gulfports, including Houston, since1976.

Kerr will represent the carrierthroughout the United States, ex-cept for California, Oregon andWashington.

13

OPERATION DESERT SHIELD:

HOUSTON WAS LEADING

A s Operation Desert Stormunfolded in the Middle East,journalists and military ex-

I perts repeatedly commented

on the United States’ impressivearsenal of equipment and weapons.Missiles and medicine, bullets andbeans- it seemed the U.S. forceshad plenty of almost everything.How did all these supplies wind upin Saudi Arabia?

Most of it went by sea, and muchof it moved through the Port ofHouston. Operation Desert Shield,which preceded Operation DesertStorm, was the fastest militarybuildup in history, and the Port ofHouston was a primary port of

embarkation for supplies."During Desert Shield, the

Military Sealift Command (MSC)moved more equipment faster and

farther than at any time in ourhistory," said Capt. Bert Anson, com-manding officer of the MSC Office inHouston (MSCO Houston). "TheHouston loadings went the fastest,"he added. "We had the equipment,

the space and the cooperation weneeded. It was a complex, challeng-ing operation, but it worked amaz-ingly well."BARBOURS (UT As Desert Shield began,the MSC set up bases at seven U.S.ports. In Houston, the FentressBracewell Barbours Cut ContainerTerminal was selected as the site ofMSC headquarters. Operated by thePort of Houston Authority, BarboursCut was well equipped to handle thestaging and loading of militaryvehicles and supplies.

By the end of February MSCOHouston had supervised the loadingof more than 1.2 million tons ofcargo on 110 vessels. The total in-

14

PORTcluded 202,000 tons of dry cargoloaded at Barbours Cut and 1 milliontons of liquid cargo loaded at private-ly owned facilities.WHY HOUSTON? Anson said Houstonwas originally selected because of itsoutstanding port facilities, itsstrategic location, its access to railand highway networks and the coop-e~ative attitude of its port officials.

"The access to rail lines was par-ticularly important for the dry cargooperation," explained Anson. "Insome port cities, there are bot-tlenecks in the rail system as itmoves through densely populatedareas. Houston does not have this(Continued on Page 16)

IOPPOSITE: Acres of pavedmorshu|ing areu ~ade theHouston loading operation 9ofoster. ABOVE TOP: A tank|umbers onto n roll-on/roll-offvesse|. ABOVE: A DesertShield vessel, packed a,dready to so||°

MILITARY SEALIFTCOMMAND

The Military Sealift Command (MSC)ispart of the U.S. Navy. This group’s task is toprovide the sea transportation neededto deploy and sustain U.S. forcesthroughout the world.

It operates under the authority of the U.S.Transportation Command (Transcom), and one of three organizations involved incoordinating the movement of troops andsupplies. The other two groups taking partin this type of operation are the MilitaryAirlift Command (MAC) and the MilitaryTraffic Management Command (MTMC).

In August 1990, just after Iraq invadedKuwait, a handful of U.S. Navy reservistsattached to MSC Office Gulf 110 inHouston were called to active duty andinstructed to set up a base at Barbours CutContainer Terminal.

They were soon joined by other militaryreservists. Coast Guardsmen arrived toassist with security, safety inspections andmonitoring of loading procedures. The U.S.Army brought in military police reservistsand members of the 1191st TerminalTransportation Unit to provide pre-stowageplans and ship’s manifests.

Vessel procurement began. Ships werebroken out of the Ready Reserve Fleet innearby Beaumont, ships already undercharter to the Navy were notified, andpaperwork was initiated to charter moreships. Equipment and personnel beganmoving toward Houston from bases as faraway as California and Minnesota.Operation Desert Shield was under way.

In a short time, the Houston MSC groupwas coordinating the efforts of more than50 different entities. Military groupsincluded the Army, Navy, Air Force, MarineCorps, Coast Guard and National Guard.Other government agencies included theMaritime Administration (MARAD), the U.S.Customs Service, the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, the U.S. Immigration Service,the National Weather Service, the ArmyCorps of Engineers and the Port Authority.From the private sector, the usual array ofservice organizations were involved -- the

(Continued on Page 21)

problem. Furthermore, the layout ofBarbours Cut made it easy to getcargo from the rail ramp to the mar-shaling areas and the vessels."

The fact that Barbours Cut hasplenty of paved storage area was aboon to the MSC operation. "In otherlocations, where equipment had tobe parked temporarily in grassyareas, rain was a real problem," saidAnson. "The vehicles would pick upmud on their tracks or wheels, mak-ing the vessel ramps and cargo holdsslippery and treacherous."

As for cooperation, Anson com-plimented everyone involved in theHouston operation. "Texas had morepeople getting the job done than anystate in Operation Desert Shield. Our

success is due to the outstandingcooperation of the U.S. Coast Guard,the Port Authority, customs, all the

civilian contractors, suppliers andthe Houston pilots." He also com-mented on the support that camefrom the community, calling it"unbelievable."O~N-D0 ATTITUDE Anson also cited theefforts of the Military Traffic

Management Command (MTMC)which brought in equipment frommilitary facilities as far west asCalifornia and as far north as Min-nesota. He also noted the contribu-tions of the Army’s TerminalTransportation Unit (TFU) whichprovided pre-stowage plans and finalship’s manifests.

"In my opinion, Houston was theNo. 1 port in support of OperationDesert Storm," concluded Anson."The cooperation and ’can-do’ at-titude we witnessed here exemplifiesthe secret of America’s greatness."MOR[ TO COM~ Already U.S. militaryleaders are discussing plans to bringmuch of the equipment in Kuwaitand Saudi Arabia back to the U.S.

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"We can’t be too specific yet aboutthe return operation," said Anson."Those plans are still being devel-oped. However, Houston will be amajor player for the same reasons ithad a leading role in Desert Shield.The short sail to the sea buoy, the ac-cess to rail and highways, thefacilities and the cooperative at-titude.., these factors still makeHouston attractive. There will be alot of traffic through Houston." []

JThe access to rail lines was adistinct advantage for theMilitary Sealift Commandoperation at Barbours Cut.

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ACT/PACE SELECTSAGENT IN MEXICO

Associated Container Transporta-tion/PACE Line, anticipating in-creased trade in the Australia-Mexicotrade, has appointed AgenciasGenerales Maritimas S.A. (Genmar)as general agents in Mexico.

Genmar now represents the con-tainer carrier in both export and im-port services to Mexico via the Portof Houston and other U.S. ports.PACE operates a weekly service be-tween Houston and Australia/NewZealand.

"Mexico recently signed a bilateraltrade agreement with Australia,which should greatly impact the two-way trade," said Norma Bacerra, vicepresident of Genmar.

Major exports from Mexico toAustralia/New Zealand include rawmaterials, lemon juice, syntheticfibers, handicrafts, ceramic tiles,beer, PCB/resins, carpeting, toys, te-quila, sesame seeds and otherfoodstuffs.

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