February sees 20% surge in container volumes at Port Houston compared to last year

February was exceptional at Port Houston’s terminals. Container volumes surged by 20% compared to last year, totalling 375,965 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs).

Year-to-date figures for 2024 show container volumes reaching 708,926 TEUs, a 12% increase.

Biggest January for container volumes in Port Houston

Loaded export volumes soared by 25% in February, hitting 145,766 TEUs, making it the biggest month for container exports on record. Loaded imports also surged by 18% compared to February 2023. Port officials credit this strong start to strategic infrastructure investments in Houston.

Steel imports at Port Houston saw a 6% rise in February. Total tonnage across terminals surged by 18% to 4,782,172 tons, up 5% for the year.

Infrastructure growth on land is evident too. The arrival of hybrid-electric rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes at Barbours Cut signals expansion, with more RTGs and ship-to-shore (STS) cranes expected at Bayport.

Progress on the Houston Ship Channel Expansion – Project 11 is notable. Curtin Maritime Corp. completed dredging three and a half miles, adding 30 minutes of vessel transit time. Callan Marine Ltd. secured the last Project 11 dredge contract, ensuring cleaner operations.

“Throughout the project to expand the Channel we have worked at an unprecedented rate to deliver the benefits to our customers and our region,” said Roger Guenther, Executive Director at Port Houston. “Before the end of this year, our Bayport Container Terminal will be able to receive vessels of up to 15,000 TEUs in size.”