Port Houston recorded its highest month ever for total containers during August 2021, handling 320,086 TEU.
An increase of 29% compared to August 2020, Houston also recorded its highest monthly loaded import TEU on record, at 159,791 TEU.
Since January 2021, Port Houston has surpassed the 2 million TEU mark, with 2,225,500 TEU compared to 1,911,176 TEU in 2020 – a 16% increase.
New importers to the Houston area that have realigned their gateway strategy and distribution centre networks, combined with increased consumer spending and retailers building up inventory to meet that demand is driving the record levels of TEU, the port wrote in a release.
The port added that this six-month streak of double-digit growth is particularly notable given the ongoing challenges in the supply chain.
With holiday season shopping on the horizon, containerised cargo is expected to remain strong through what is shaping up to be an extended peak season through Barbours Cut and Bayport Container Terminals, the release noted.
Roger Guenther, Executive Director at Port Houston, commented, “At Port Houston we embrace our position as a centrally located port serving a large region of consumers. Providing efficient and predictable cargo movement through our port during an unprecedented surge in global imports continues to be a top priority for us.
“We expect elevated levels in the supply chain to continue well into 2022 and will continue to explore opportunities including accelerating an already aggressive capital investment strategy for our terminals to stay in front of the demand.”
One major project underway Houston Ship Channel Expansion – Project 11. On 19 August Port Houston and the US Army Corps of Engineers signed their joint project partnership agreement on the expansion.
