Alive with energy, rich in diversity, Houston represents all that is typically Texas. It is a fantastic mix of imagination, entertainment and international appeal. While it is the capital of the international energy industry, Houston is much more than that.

At 8,778 square miles, the Greater Houston Area covers more ground than any other major city in America. In fact, we’re as big as the entire countries of Israel and El Salvador. That’s a lot of space filled with a vast number of business opportunities, but a closer look offers a better view http://www.houston-spacecityusa.com.

Most of the communities here spotlight the beauty of Houston, made possible by its proximity to several waterways. Called the Bayou City, Houston is home to more than 10 of these winding waterways that not only irrigate the lush landscape. Beyond beauty, it’s the business opportunities provided by Houston’s waterways that are the primary reasons for the city’s existence.

The Port of Houston still thrives today, thanks to the dredging of Buffalo Bayou to form the famous Houston Ship Channel. The Port of Houston, the largest U.S. port in foreign waterborne commerce is one of the area’s assets, creating a positive economic environment for business www.portofhouston.com. The port area is just one of the many business districts that have branched out from the inner city.

Other areas such as the Uptown/Galleria area, Greenway Plaza, Interstate 10’s Energy Corridor and, of course, the Texas Medical Center, are booming with business development www.houston.org.

Houston is a multicultural community and a thriving international community supported by the nation’s third largest consular offices representing 77 nations. In addition, there are 25 foreign banks, 42 international chambers of commerce and trade associations.

This diverse population and the incredible resources of the area, like the immense Port of Houston, the Houston Airport System with two major airports and the enormous supply of highly trained workers, combine to create quite an international center for big business. Houston’s eight-county metro area is home to 56 percent of the Texas companies that have operations in other countries and 52 percent of foreign companies with Texas offices, according to the Texas Department of Economic Development http://www.ci.houston.tx.us.

Houston’s economy is strong, so it should come as no surprise that the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Assistance Center in Houston offers several programs and services along with our Commercial Service section office in the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires for companies looking to assistance in export opportunities and networking.

Houston Business Facts

Global Impact

• The Port of Houston, a $15-billion petrochemical complex, is a major U.S. gateway for international trade, and ranks number one in the nation in foreign tonnage and second in total tonnage.
• The Houston-Gulf Coast region has nearly 43 percent of the nation’s base petrochemical capacity- more than triple that of its nearest U.S. competitor.
• Houston is home to 45 of the nation’s 200 largest publicly traded oil and gas exploration and production firms.
• Dun & Bradstreet reports 27,547 business firms in the eight-county Houston metro area with annual sales of $1 million or more.
• Approximately 400 establishments employ more than 27,000 people in Houston’s electronics manufacturing industries.
• The nation’s 20 largest engineering and design firms have offices in Houston.
• The Houston area has more than 1,000 computer-related companies.
• The renowned Texas Medical Center, home to 42 non-profit institutions on 675 acres, is the largest medical center in the world. The Texas Medical Center has an estimated economic impact of $11.5 billion a year on the

Houston's economy.

• Houston's NASA/Johnson Space Center trains America's astronauts and coordinates operations development and design work for the space missions, Space Shuttle and International Space Station.
• Consulates in Houston represent some 77 countries. For a listing of consulates see our Membership Services Directory.
• Two major facilities: George R. Brown Convention Center and Reliant Park. Currently these two facilities total 1.7 million square feet of convention space, and by late 2003, expansion of these facilities will increase the total square footage to 4 million.

Location

· Centrally located on the upper Gulf Coast, 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

Size

• Houston's city limits cover 617 square miles
• Greater Houston area contains about 8,778 square miles - more than eight times the size of Rhode Island.
• Houston's 507 city and county parks and playgrounds and 200 open-space areas spread over 42,000 land acres and 12,200 water-covered acres.

Transportation

• The Houston Airport System is the fourth largest in the United States, the sixth largest in the world www.ci.houston.tx.us/has. Total passenger service topped 43 million in 2001, including more than five million international passengers. The city's three commercial airports, Bush Intercontinental Airport, William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington Field, provide many options for getting to Space City, USA. Three airports serve 149 cities worldwide. Houston-based Continental Airlines alone offers more than 500 departures a day from Bush Intercontinental Airport.
• Houston is one of the nation’s busiest rail centers with more than 700,000 rail cars arriving in or departing from the area each year. Metro’s Light Rail project is currently under construction, with completion expected in 2004. The rail line will connect downtown to the Texas Medical Center, Reliant Park and the Museum District.
• Houston's vast freeway system provides easy access by car to all parts of the city and its surrounding areas.
• Houston is a hub of a major U.S. trucking network that has approximately 735 long-distance truck lines operating in the area.

Hotel Rooms

· The Houston area offers more than 53,000 hotel rooms.

A Multicultural City

• More than 500 cultural, visual and performing arts organizations, 90 are devoted to multicultural and minority arts.
• More than 90 languages are spoken throughout the area.
• Thirty-two percent of Houstonians are Caucasian, 37 percent Hispanic, 25 percent African-American and 5 percent Asian.

Population

• 2 million people live within Houston's city limits.
• Eight-county metropolitan statistical area totals 4.7 million.
• 3 million reside in Harris County alone, the third largest county in the nation.

Trade - US Department of Commerce

If you are interested in trade with Houston, the US Department of Commerce has an office in Houston that works with a number of local trade associations and trading partners, and stands ready to help manufacturers and service providers in Houston.
U.S. Export Assistance Center
U.S. Department of Commerce
15600 John Fitzgerald Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 530
Houston, TX 77032
Phone: (281) 449-9402
Fax: (281) 449-9437
E-mail: Houston.Office.Box@N0SPAM.mail.doc.gov

Your Houston Partners In International Trade
There are also a number of other international trade resources in Houston. The U.S. Commercial Service works with a strong network of partners to help international visitors find trading partners. Many of these partners can facilitate trade in a variety of ways.

The Export Import (ExIm) Bank is an independent federal government agency that helps finance the overseas sales of U.S. goods and services. Its mission is to create American jobs through exports. It provides guarantees of working capital loans for U.S. exporters, and it guarantees the repayment of loans or makes loans to foreign purchasers of U.S. goods and services. It also provides credit insurance that protects U.S. exporters against the risks of non-payment by foreign buyers for political or commercial reasons. It does not compete with commercial lenders, but assumes the risks they cannot accept. It must always have a reasonable assurance of repayment.

Export-Import Bank of the United States
1880 S. Dairy Ashford II Suite 585
Houston, TX 77077
Phone: 281-721-0465
Fax: 281-679-0156
Contact: Patrick D. Crilley

The Greater Houston Partnership is the primary advocate of Houston's business community and is dedicated to building economic prosperity in the Region. It has three operating divisions: Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development, and World Trade. The World Trade Division serves both importers and exporters. On the export side they maintain an excellent reference library, host foreign government and trade officials, conduct export related programs and seminars, sponsor overseas trade missions, and publish an annual International Trade Directory. A member of the World Trade Center network, they also disseminate trade leads and coordinate arrangements for WTC members.
Greater Houston Partnership, World Trade Division
1200 Smith Street Suite 700
Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: (713) 844-3638
Fax: (713) 844-0239
Contact: Miguel SanJuan, President

Also, Houston Export Council members represent a cross-section of local public and private sector individuals willing to work in close concert with the Houston Export Assistance Center to better serve the needs of the export community. Appointed by the Secretary of Commerce for their leadership abilities, knowledge of international trade, interest in export development, and willingness to devote their time to council activities, members devote their time and energy to council activities and assisting local firms export their products and services.

Houston District Export Council
15600 John Fitzgerald Kennedy Blvd. Suite 530
Houston, Texas 77032
Phone: (281) 449-9402
Fax: (281) 449-9437
Contact: Mark C. Joye, Chairman

The Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce's mission is to develop and promote the business community in Northwest Houston. The Chamber is active with members and outreach programs through monthly committee meetings. They sponsor business luncheons and publish a monthly newsmagazine. Its international focus has been greatly enhanced through a cooperative arrangement with the Commerce Department's Houston Export Assistance Center in which the Chamber hosts an International Trade Specialist as a guest in their offices one day a week for greater outreach to the NW exporting community. Alan Richel, Senior International Trade Specialist, is scheduled to be there every Thursday.
Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce
14511 Falling Creek, Suite 20
Houston, TX 77014
Phone: (281) 440-4160
Fax: (281)-440-5229
Contact: Sandy Turbeville, Executive Director
The InterAmerican Chamber of Commerce is devoted to fostering increased trade relations with countries in the Americas, except Cuba. They enter into bi-lateral arrangements with relevant foreign chambers of Commerce to facilitate relations and trade. They conduct business programs and collaborate with other organizations in sponsoring trade missions.

InterAmerican Chamber of Commerce
11999 Katy Freeway, Suite 330
Houston, Texas 77079-1606
Phone: (281) 584-9009
Fax: (281) 584-9555
Contact: Mrs. Fan Dorman, President & CEO
The University of Houston International Trade Center helps small and medium sized firms explore and develop business potential in world markets. They offer consulting services, training seminars, sponsor overseas trade missions, and provide a speakers bureau.

University of Houston International Trade Center
2302 Fannin Suite 300
Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (713) 752-8404
Fax: (713) 756-1515
Contact: Carlos J. Lopez, Director

Finally, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), a federal agency, provides assistance to exporters with loan guarantees, management assistance and export legal assistance. Their Export Working Capital Program (EWCP) provides short term financing to small business for export related transactions. They also have an International Trade Loan (ITL) program that provides long-term financing to exporters. Management assistance is available through their Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). Export legal assistance is available through their Export Legal Assistance Network (ELAN).
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
8701 South Gessner Drive, Suite 1200
Houston, TX 77074
Phone: (713) 773-6523
Fax: (713) 773-6550
Contact: Najla Tanous, District Counsel/District International Trade Officer