Port Houston’s public terminals recorded outstanding volumes in October, reaching 4,603,295 short tons, representing a 12% increase for the month and 6% year-to-date growth.
Port Houston’s October container volumes were similarly noteworthy, putting Port Houston’s total TEUs for the year up 6% over 2024.
Charlie Jenkins, Port Houston CEO, stated that container volumes for the year are up 6%, and that puts the port firmly on track for its strongest container performance in history.
Loaded exports continued to surge in October, up an impressive 42% for the month and 10% year-to-date, driven by Houston’s dynamic petrochemical and manufacturing sectors.
Loaded imports increased by 8% in October and are up 3% so far this year. Additionally, steel imports rose 16% in October, while general cargo has edged up 1% year-to-date.
Port Houston continues major infrastructure investments, with an additional wharf at Bayport Container Terminal expected to be complete before year-end.
In October, it was announced that Port Houston, working in partnership with the US Army Corps of Engineers, completed its portion of dredging for the Houston Ship Channel Expansion Project 11.
This transformative milestone expands the Galveston Bay reach from 530 feet to 700 feet, improving two-way vessel movement and operational efficiency for larger ships and benefiting all Channel users.
Vessels of up to 15,000–17,000 TEU, matching Panama Canal capacity, can now call Bayport Container Terminal, and expansion at Barbours Cut Container Terminal is scheduled for completion in 2027, at which time it will accommodate similarly large vessels.
All remaining Project 11 segments will be completed by the USACE, with final work expected in 2029.
The Houston Ship Channel is currently the nation’s No. 1 waterway and an essential economic engine that a third-party study of 2022 volumes found supports 3.37 million US jobs and US$906 billion annually in national economic activity.
