Port Houston achieves record January container volumes

Port Houston container volumes
Port Houston

Port Houston achieves record January container volumes

Port Houston has started 2026 with a historic performance, handling 370,034 TEUs in January. This represents a 4% increase over January 2025 and marks the highest container volume ever recorded for the month of January at the port.

Containerized Cargo and Resin Growth

The record-breaking month was supported by a balanced 5% increase in both loaded imports and loaded exports. A primary driver of this growth remains the petrochemical sector:

  • Resin Leadership: Port Houston currently handles approximately 60% of all U.S. resin exports.

  • New Infrastructure: The completion of Phase I of Packwell’s 725,000-square-foot resin packaging facility near the Bayport Container Terminal is expected to further boost these numbers. The facility features direct rail access and high-speed packaging equipment to streamline the transload process.

  • Cost Efficiency: This new capacity is designed to reduce logistical costs and improve connectivity to the port’s global carrier network.

Cold Chain and Refrigerated Cargo

Refrigerated cargo continues to be a high-growth area for the port, following a 13% rise in 2025.

  • USDA-APHIS Certification: Efficiency is bolstered by the port’s cold-treatment certification, allowing perishable shipments to complete the necessary treatment process while in transit.

  • Infrastructure: This certification, combined with established cold-chain facilities, is expanding access to key perishable commodities.

Operational Milestones and Mixed Cargo Performance

The surge in demand was evident across the port’s public terminals, including a single-day record of 16,438 truck transactions in January. Vessel arrivals along the Houston Ship Channel also saw a 2% increase.

However, performance across non-containerized cargo was mixed:

  • General Cargo: Increased 27% in January.

  • Steel Imports: Declined 35% to 213,653 short tons, a drop attributed to lower drilling activity in the region.

  • Total Tonnage: Across all categories, the port handled 4,546,589 short tons, a 6% year-over-year increase.

“We’re seeing solid demand across both of our public container terminals and a wide range of cargo moving through the Houston gateway.” — Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston

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