YEAR-ON-YEAR GROWTH OF 3%! Houston Port handled over 1 million TEUs in the first quarter

Port of Houston，the container volume for March reached 360,991 TEUs, representing a 20% growth compared to March 2023, making it the largest March in the history of the Port of Houston.

Increased consumer spending on items such as furniture and household appliances drove a 23% year-on-year increase in import volumes for March, and a 14% year-on-year increase overall. Additionally, the loading of export goods, primarily resin, saw a 12% increase in March, reaching 404,124 TEUs, contributing to a 15% year-to-date growth.

Roger Guenther, Executive Director of the Port of Houston, stated: “We continue to enhance our facilities, coupled with a dedicated workforce, enabling us to effectively handle double-digit growth in imports and exports for the first quarter.” He further added, “As demand grows, our customers can count on us to continue investing in infrastructure and the personnel necessary to swiftly move their cargo through our terminals.”

The recent delivery of six hybrid rubber-tired gantry cranes (RTGs) to the Bayport Container Terminal by the vessel “Happy Diamond” is among several RTGs slated for delivery to the Port of Houston this year. Compared to diesel cranes, RTGs are more environmentally friendly, capable of reducing nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide emissions by 90%.

Guenther remarked,”The steady increase in hybrid electric RTGs at the Port of Houston reflects our ongoing commitment to invest in land-based infrastructure and our goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050″.

In addition to RTGs, three new ship-to-shore (STS) cranes are expected to be delivered to the Port of Houston this summer, bringing the total to 32 STS cranes and 147 RTGs for the year. Furthermore, enhancements have been made to the container stacking yards 4 North and 5 North at the Barbours Cut Container Terminal, including the placement of reinforced concrete surfaces to extend their lifespan. This project also added truck aprons, bolstering safety within the terminal, and improving cargo handling efficiency.

In March, the steel throughput at the Port of Houston’s multipurpose facilities decreased by 10% compared to the same period last year, reaching a 20% decrease by the end of the first quarter. However, lumber prices increased by 16% in March, with an 18% increase year-to-date. As of March, the total tonnage across all terminals of the Port of Houston increased by 4%, totaling 13,422,452 tons year-to-date.