The Port of Corpus Christi handled 54.5 million tonnes of commodities through the Corpus Christi Ship Channel in the first quarter of 2026, the highest first-quarter volume in the port’s history and a 6.1% increase of 3.2 million tonnes over the same period in 2025.
The result surpasses the previous record of 54.0 million tonnes set in the fourth quarter of 2024.
LNG shipments were the primary growth driver, rising 33% or 1.5 million tonnes year-on-year, supported by ongoing commissioning activities at Cheniere Corpus Christi Stage 3, including Train 5 reaching substantial completion in March.
Agricultural exports increased by 1.4 million tonnes, refined products and other bulk liquids grew by 1.4 million tonnes or 12.5%, and dry bulk volumes rose by approximately 0.5 million tonnes or 21%, driven by higher imports of iron ore, barite and cement.
These gains were partially offset by a 1.5 million tonne or 5% decline in crude oil shipments compared to the prior year period, attributable to higher domestic refinery usage and elevated export freight rates, though crude volumes have since rebounded significantly following the onset of the conflict in Iran.
March 2026 was independently a record month for the port, with customers moving 19.9 million tonnes, a 10.4% increase over March 2025.
Month-on-month volumes also rose from 16.6 million tonnes in February, with year-on-year growth recorded across crude oil, refined products and LNG.
Crude oil exports exceeded 2.4 million barrels per day in March, among the highest monthly levels recorded in the market.
Port CEO Kent Britton attributed the strong performance to customers’ ability to rapidly scale operations in response to changing market conditions following the Iran conflict, and highlighted the port’s US$ 1 billion-plus investment over the past decade in facility modernisation as a foundational enabler of the region’s growing importance in the global energy supply chain.
