PASADENA, TX-Vice President Joe Biden paid a visit to the Port of Houston's Bayport Container Terminal on Nov. 18 to highlight the importance of ports and the Panama Canal expansion. Specifically, the Vice President focused on Port of Houston investments that led to a 48% increase in exports, while acknowledging the port's involvement in almost $500 billion of economic activity annually.

The trip was part of an effort to spur more congressional funding in infrastructure improvements, such as ports. "Infrastructure matters and ports matter the most,” Biden said. “Investing in infrastructure is how you create jobs, and that's the secret of the journey of America.”

Biden was joined by Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx and a delegation of elected officials from across the nation. The Vice President also highlighted the $10 million TIGER Grant recently awarded to the Port Authority for expanding the wharf at the Bayport Container Terminal.

During his visit, Biden consulted with the Port Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria and other local and federal leaders, including Congressional members Gene Green, Sheila Jackson Lee and Al Green, regarding their vision for the region for job creation, economic growth and infrastructure development.

Forecasts indicate that by 2035, the number of containerized exports from Houston to Asia via the Panama Canal will increase more than five times what is exported through the port today.