Texas port fuels automotive expansion with Mitsubishi deal, infrastructure upgrades

Mitsubishi has worked with AMPORTS since 1983 at facilities in Baltimore and Jacksonville, but is now adding Port Freeport to streamline vehicle distribution and reduce inland transportation costs.

“The addition of Port Freeport to our U.S. distribution system will be key to improving efficiency, reducing waste and speeding up deliveries to our dealer partners throughout the Gulf and the Midwest,” Ken Konieczka, MMNA’s senior vice president of sales operations, said in a statement.

Under the agreement, imported Mitsubishi vehicles are unloaded by AMPORTS stevedoring teams before moving directly to on-site vehicle processing operations for accessorization and final preparation prior to shipment to dealerships, creating a more integrated logistics flow.

MMNA began operating through Port Freeport on April 28, with more than 500 vehicles arriving during the first month. The companies formally launched the partnership during a July 1 ribbon-cutting ceremony held alongside the arrival of the Höegh Sunrise, which delivered Mitsubishi vehicles to the port.

According to trade data, cars represented approximately $2.14 billion of the port’s exports and $3.81 billion of its imports during 2025, making automobiles one of Freeport’s largest traded commodities.

Automotive momentum continues

The Mitsubishi announcement follows several recent milestones underscoring Port Freeport’s growing importance in automotive logistics.

Volkswagen Group of America announced it had shipped more than 250,000 vehicles as of May 28 through Port Freeport since establishing its Gulf Coast vehicle processing hub in 2022. Volkswagen’s Freeport operations now serves nearly 300 dealerships nationwide.

The port’s automotive business received another boost July 1 when it welcomed the Höegh Sunrise during the vessel’s inaugural North American call.

The Höegh Sunrise is the fifth ship in Höegh Autoliners’ new Aurora Class of pure car and truck carriers. The vessel can transport up to 9,100 car equivalent units and is designed to operate on future low-carbon fuels, including ammonia and methanol, making it among the world’s largest and most environmentally advanced vehicle carriers.

Port Freeport handled 198,475 vehicles during fiscal 2025, reflecting continued growth in automotive imports and exports along the Texas Gulf Coast, according to port officials. Höegh Autoliners has called at Port Freeport since 2015.

Infrastructure investment supports growth

Port Freeport is also expanding the infrastructure needed to accommodate rising cargo volumes.

In May, the port received an $11 million Port Infrastructure Development Program grant from the U.S. Maritime Administration to modernize 10 acres at its Velasco Terminal.

The project will convert the area into a heavy-duty cargo handling facility by replacing limestone surfaces with concrete pavement, improving stormwater drainage and installing high-mast lighting to enhance operational efficiency and security.