Container volumes at Port Houston dipped in August compared to record levels of 2022

Loaded export volumes at Port Houston are up 10% year-to-date, thanks mostly to the facility’s 59% share of the nation’s entire flow of resin exports, while loaded import volumes are down 7% year-to-date, leading combined loaded volume to be flat for the year.

Port officials today said that overall container volumes at Port Houston declined in August compared to last year, driven by a sharp drop in empty container volume. Year-to-date empty container volume is down 17% due to a relatively balanced market of import and export demand.

In August, Port Houston handled 307,624 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) overall, a 20% decrease compared to the same month last year in a dip that was expected because August of 2022 was the biggest month ever at Port Houston for container volume. Likewise, total 2023 container volumes to date have surpassed 2.5 million TEUs through August, reaching 2,510,162 TEUs and down just 4% compared to last year.

“After a record year in 2022, we were prepared to see a slight dip in import loads and export empty containers this year,” Roger Guenther, executive director at Port Houston, said in a release. “That said, we know the outlook is bright. The Texas economy is the 8^th largest in the world and Port Houston is a vital gateway to millions of consumers. We are ensuring the fluidity of this gateway for the future by investing now in key infrastructure enhancements.”