Port Houston saw its busiest April on record, handling a total of 334,493 TEUs for the month. This is a 21% increase over container volumes the same month in 2021 and also a 21% increase year-to-date. Year-to-date container volume at Port Houston surpassed 1 million in April, reaching 1,237,876 TEUs.
The ongoing surge in container volume is driven primarily by imports. Loaded import TEUs at Port Houston reached unprecedented highs with 162,965 TEUs in April, the highest monthly loaded import volume ever at Port Houston’s container terminals, as a growing number of importers redesign network strategies that favor Houston as a national hub.
In a positive sign for regional exports of resin, chemicals, cotton and other goods and products made in the U.S., loaded container exports for the month via Houston were up 25% for the month of April at 114,860 TEUs (up 4% for the year). Outbound empty container volume was up 6% as compared to the same month last year, at 43,155 TEUs for April 2022. Year-to-date, outbound empty container volume is up 80% with a total of 215,306 TEUs worth of empties shipped out of Port Houston’s container terminals.
“April was another record month for containers at Port Houston,” Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther said. “Month after month we’ve seen numbers that are unprecedented at our facilities. As a marine terminal operator, our team is responding to the surge with an accelerated infrastructure development program on all fronts. We’re expanding the Houston Ship Channel to handle bigger ships, we’re constructing wharves, adding container yard space, installing new equipment and training our future workforce. It’s busy at Port Houston, as our team members continue to focus on safety, customer service and moving cargo efficiently.”
With strong container activity expected to continue this year, Port Houston is implementing changes now to increase capacity and provide added flexibility to its users.
“We’ve already implemented some changes, like increasing our gate hours and adding Saturday gates. We are re-evaluating the timing of many of our investments, working to get additional container space on-line sooner than originally planned,” Guenther said. “Nothing is off the table. We are thinking creatively and actively working with our customers to improve velocity.”
Port Houston’s strong performance is also being experienced at its general cargo facilities. April’s steel volume was up 47% versus the same month last year at 376,039 tons, continuing an upward trend for the year. Steel volumes year-to date are up 106% at 1,711,408 tons through the end of April. In a recovering sign for autos, finished vehicle volume was up 70% for the month or 5,045 units, driven by imports of VW, Audi, Porsche and Fiat, helping close a gap. Auto unit volume still is 18% down year-to-date, or 3,410 units short of last year’s volume at this time. The automotive sector was hit hard by supply chain issues, with production hampered by a global shortage of electronic components and bottlenecks due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
