Port Houston sees volumes increase 12% since the start of the year

Container volumes at the Port of Houston continued to exceed last year’s levels, with 1.39 million TEUs handled from the start of the year through April.

This represents an increase of 12 percent since the start of the year.

According to the port, 324,177 TEUs transited in April, an increase of 5% compared to April 2023 figures.

A closer look at container traffic reveals high volumes for both loaded imports and loaded exports, as both directions continue to increase.

Loaded imports increased 4 percent for the month and 12 percent since the start of April, reaching 632,886 TEUs, due to a recent increase in the number of new import distribution centers built in the region.

Loaded exports processed in April increased 8 percent compared to 2023, while year-to-date volumes increased 14 percent to 523,426 TEUs.

READ: Port Houston breaks export record in October

Port Houston attributes the increase in exports to demand for regionally manufactured automobiles, furniture, cotton and plastic resin items.

Steel volumes fell 32 percent in April compared to the same month last year, while other products, such as fertilizer, molasses and tallow, saw gains.

Total tonnage at the port increased by 4 percent to 17.5 million tonnes since the start of the year.

READ: Port Houston hits new container volume record for January

Roger Guenther, Executive Director of Port Houston, said, “Our Express Pass system is designed to improve the efficiency of our container terminals. It improves customer truck turn times by giving our team greater visibility and predictability, which helps us work smarter.

“By using this system, our customers help us reduce the time spent in our terminals. With 10,000 truck passages on average every day, every minute, every second counts. »

From January to March, Port Houston handled 1 million TEUs year-to-date, an increase of 15 percent from the same period last year.