Port of Corpus Christi customers deliver best second quarter, best first half in port history

Port of Corpus Christi customers moved 55.8 million tons of commodities through the Corpus Christi Ship Channel during the second quarter of 2026, establishing the best quarter in the history of the Port. The record surpasses the previous quarter high of 54.5 million tons set earlier this year in Q1 2026.

The first six months of 2026 also marked the best first half in Port history, with customers moving 110.3 million tons of commodities through the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, an increase of 7.7% over the previous record first-half total of 102.4 million tons recorded during the same period in 2025.

Growth during the first half of 2026 was driven by strong performance across several commodity categories. Liquefied natural gas volumes increased 36.3% to 11.5 million tons, while agricultural commodities reached 2.1 million tons, compared to 189,000 tons during the first half of 2025. Refined products increased 8.9% to 17.1 million tons, other bulk liquids grew 11.7% to 8.2 million tons and natural gas liquids volumes rose 18.4% to 914,606 tons. Crude oil shipments remained strong at 66.0 million tons, a 1.28% increase over the same period last year.

These gains were partially offset by lower volumes in dry bulk commodities, which declined 7.3% to 4.2 million tons, and breakbulk cargo, which decreased 3.5% to 191,457 tons during the first half of the year.

“Delivering the strongest quarter and first half in our history reflects the continued confidence our customers place in the Port of Corpus Christi and the world-class infrastructure that supports their operations,” said Kent Britton, Chief Executive Officer for the Port of Corpus Christi. “The continued growth in multiple commodities reflects the significant advantages gained by completion of the ship channel improvement project last year and demonstrates the Port’s critical role in connecting U.S. products to global markets.