The Port of Houston is the principal U.S. port on the Gulf of Mexico, handling petrochemical, coal, and grain exports, and inbound consumer products. Many of the 4,000 or so ships that traverse the Houston ship channel annually transit the Panama Canal on their journeys. The expanded Canal, set to open in the winter of 2016, will support Neo-Panamax ships with as much as three times the capacity of current Panamax ships, as well as very large LNG carriers. Is the Port of Houston ready for these new ships? What public and private investments have been made and are planned to assure that Houston, and the U.S., are competitive in international trade? Roger Guenther, Executive Director of the Port of Houston Authority talks about Houston’s progress and plans with host Joseph Schofer