Container traffic at Port Houston increased 8 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023, hitting a record 4.13 million TEUs.
December capped off this success with a 4 per cent year-over-year (YoY) increase in total container volumes, totalling 340,418 TEUs.
Last month, loaded exports increased by 12 per cent to 135,446 TEUs at the port, led by strong shipments of resin, chemicals, rubber, and textiles. The YoY increase was 8 per cent.
Loaded imports fell 1 per cent in December but were up 6 per cent YoY, boosted by robust demand for consumer products in one of the country’s fastest-expanding regions.
READ: Port Houston October volumes drop despite YoY rise
Notably, refrigerated cargo imports at Port Houston increased 15 per cent in 2024.
In November 2024, imports from China made up 34 per cent of the port’s import market share, up 11 per cent from the same time in 2023.
Trans-Atlantic commerce with Europe increased significantly, with double-digit rises in imports from Belgium, Germany, and Spain compared to November 2023.
READ: Port Houston nears 4 million TEUs
Port Houston also managed to handle a record-breaking 53 million tonnes of cargo in 2024, up 6 per cent from 2023 at its public terminals. The port’s multi-purpose terminals received 4.53 million short tonnes of steel, the second-highest amount in five years and the third-highest in the past decade.
Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston, commented: “Port Houston’s public terminals have been integral to this success, and we are proud of the new tonnage record set this year.”