The port commission of the Port of Houston Authority at its April 23 meeting authorized negotiation of a contract with a Finnish company to supply four dockside electric container cranes for Wharf No. 1 at Barbours Cut Container Terminal.
  

The equipment is part of a $700 million renovation under way at Barbours Cut, the port authority's first container terminal.  Other aspects of the renovation include new lights and dock improvements aimed at enhancing the facility’s cargo handling efficiency and enabling it to handle larger ships.

Two foreign trade zone matters were also approved – one expanding FTZ 84 and the other creating a subzone. The port authority is grantee of FTZ 84, one of the largest zones in the United States, exporting more than $5 billion worth of goods annually.

The port commission also approved the port authority's fiscal year 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). External auditors Grant Thornton, LLP gave an unqualified, or "clean," audit opinion of port authority financial records. 

Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria reported that the port authority had added the Port of Istanbul to its list of trade partners. Ms. Longoria and Istanbul port president Gani Aygün, the Turkish port’s president, signed the Memorandum of Friendship and Trade Cooperation on April 2 as part of the Turkey-Houston Business Conference organized in conjunction with the launch of Turkish Airline's inaugural non-stop flight between Istanbul and Houston.