THE IMPACTS OF U.S.-LATIN AMERICAN TRADE ON THE SOUTHWEST'S ECONOMY AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM: CASE STUDIES OF COFFEE AND STEEL ON THE U.S.-BRAZIL TRADE CORRIDOR

This report traces economic and transport impacts of U.S.-Latin America trade through case studies of coffee and steel from Brazil to the U.S.-destination Port of Houston. It is the second of a two-report series on economic impacts, following "The Impacts of U.S.-Latin American Trade on the Southwest's Economy and Transportation System: An Assessment of Impact Methodologies," and adopting a similar case study methodology to more adequately measure the cumulative impacts of trade along a commodity's value/supply chain. The recommended methodology entails the adoption of the transportation corridor and the commodity shipments as units for analysis, and the case studies of coffee and steel delineate how trade and transportation actually take place. The report follows trade and transport through various states of production and consumption from the originating region in Brazil, through the Brazilian gateway ports of Vitoria and Santos, to arrival at the Port of Houston with analysis of the commodities movements along multiplicative supply chains. Cumulative impacts are measured in relation to actual movement and activity. In this way, the report identifies more policy-relevant impacts, identifies trade opportunities, and reveals factors aiding and impeding the effective functioning of a trade/transport corridor.