Port Houston has moved 3.12 million TEUs so far this year, a 10 per cent increase over the same period in 2023.
Loaded imports were up 4 per cent in September and 8 per cent year to date. Loaded exports dipped 8 per cent in September, but are up 10 per cent year to date.
Last month, total container volume increased by 1 per cent to 329,462 TEUs from September 2023.
Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston, said: “At Port Houston we are moving more containers than ever before, having reached the 3 million TEUs mark already this year.
“This milestone reflects strong customer demand and our commitment to delivering a low cost and low risk proposition to our customers that is anchored in service excellence.”
READ: Port Houston surpasses 2 million TEU mark
The CMA CGM Cassiopea, the biggest-ever vessel to dock at Port Houston’s Bayport Container Terminal, arrived in September.
The vessel, measuring 1,188 feet long and 150 feet wide, came carrying 11,356 TEUs and conducted 7,327 transfers during its stay.
By the end of November, 15,000 TEU neo-Panamax vessels will be permitted to make routine calls to Bayport as part of the ongoing Houston Ship Channel Expansion, often known as Project 11.
This project will increase the Channel’s width from 530′ to 700′ while also improving safety and efficiency.
Port Houston, as the local advocate for the Houston Ship Channel, the nation’s busiest waterway, has spearheaded these improvements to benefit all Channel users, improving safety for two-way traffic of liquid bulk tankers and large neo-Panamax container vessels, and reducing navigation restrictions.
READ: Port Houston witnesses slight TEU drop
Jenkins added: “Port Houston has invested heavily in the Channel expansion because we understand the pivotal role we play in our region’s economic vitality.
“We are excited to see larger ships arrive to Bayport, but Project 11 is bigger than our public terminals. It’s a vital project for our nation’s largest petrochemical complex. It’s important for safety along the waterway, and it helps secure the positive economic impacts the Channel has for generations to come.”
Steel imports at Port Houston’s multipurpose facilities increased by 25 per cent in September, compared to the same month the previous year.
Total tonnage across all Port Houston public facilities was 39,444,673 tonnes in the first nine months of the year, a 4 per cent increase from 2023.
In August, Port Houston witnessed a 20 per cent TEU increase, hitting 367,653 TEU for the month.
