Container volume slips at Port Houston

Port Houston container volume dipped in January. Container TEUs decreased by 1% compared to last January, with 319,990 TEUs for the first month of 2023, down 3,437 TEUs from the same period in 2022.

Loaded imports were down 6%, but total imports, including empty import containers, were up 5%, buoyed by a surge in empty containers repositioned to Houston to support a strong start in export bookings. Due to increased resin demand in January, Port Houston saw significant growth in loaded exports, rising by 31% compared to last year to 113,875 TEUs for the month.

“We are the top resin port in the nation, and exports of container cargo with polymers and other petrochemical products remain strong at Port Houston, and we continue to make the investments in our facilities to handle future growth,” said Roger Guenther, Executive Director at Port Houston.

Port Houston is America’s number one port for resin exports, with 59% of all resins exported from the United States in 2022. New resin packaging facilities continue to come online around the port, adding to Port Houston’s export volumes via its two container terminals, Barbours Cut and Bayport Container Terminals. PACKWELL plans to build a new state-of-the-art resin packaging facility on a site leased from Port Houston located at the Bayport Industrial Complex. PACKWELL is an ISO 9001:2015 certified Plastics Bagging and Logistics Company established in Houston, Texas, in 1986, and its packaging expertise involves bagging polymers of all categories.

Steel imports at Port Houston are also off to a strong start for the year and are up 17% in January compared to January 2022 at 514,024 tons for the month.

The outlook is strong for container imports via Port Houston, with additional distribution centers ensuring continued economic growth for the region. For example, Macy’s new 900,000-square-foot distribution center is set to open in the coming months in southern Tomball, Texas, not far from Port Houston. This omnichannel distribution center will allow Macy’s to support its stores in the region as well as customers across the country during peak season.

“As we continue to see growth and investment in the region in both manufacturing and import distribution, we are committed to providing terminal capacity for growing demand to ensure fluidity and best-in-class service to our customers,” said Guenther.