Port Houston reports strong April volumes

Port Houston had a strong April in terms of containers, handling 387,478 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) across its public terminals, a double-digit increase of 20% compared to last year. April’s gains set a new record for April container volumes at Port Houston, and follow a record-setting March as well. Year-to-date volumes are 1,456,173 TEUs through April, up 4% compared to last year.

Loaded containerized imports rose 21% and loaded exports increased 16% compared to April 2024, with total loaded volumes reaching 316,543 TEUs, a 19% year-over-year increase. While a small portion of Port Houston’s total loaded volumes, imports of containerized refrigerated cargo, or reefers, was up 46% in April compared to reefers in April 2024, corresponding with peak season for many citrus and other fruits.

At the Port’s multipurpose terminals, steel imports were up 40% for the month and are up 17% this year thus far. General cargo volumes climbed 18% year-to-date. Collectively, total tonnage across all of Port Houston’s public facilities is up so far this year 3%, reaching 18,087,097 tons through the end of April.

“We are staying busy across our facilities, working with our partners to make sure every piece of cargo and every box moves quickly to get to its final destination,” said Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston. “We are keenly aware of the uncertainty in the market today and are closely monitoring cargo volumes. Houston, however, has long been a growth market. If you look at the past ten years, Port Houston’s container volumes have grown faster than any other major port in the country. We are confident that over the long-term Houston will continue to be a key global gateway.”

Recently, Port Houston welcomed several high-level international delegations, further strengthening global relationships and trade collaboration. Delegates from the United Kingdom, Panama, and Guyana each visited with Port leadership to discuss infrastructure investment, progress on Project 11 to deepen and widen the Houston Ship Channel, and sustainable supply chain development. “Building relationships like these and advocating for Houston’s port is a key part of what we do at Port Houston. We are committed to our region’s maritime economic development and were honored to meet with these distinguished guests,” said Jenkins.