Port Houston recorded another month of steady growth in May, handling 381,640 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), a 5% increase year-over-year.
Year-to-date container volumes reached 1,837,813 TEUs, up 4% over last year.
In May, both loaded container imports and loaded container exports increased by 1%, reflecting an ongoing balance in containerized trade activity in Houston. Beyond containers, Port Houston’s general cargo is up 12% and steel imports are up 11% year-to-date. Total tonnage across all public facilities is up 2% so far this year, reaching 22,940,997 tons through the end of May.
Port Houston continues to enhance its operational capabilities to support sustained growth. In late 2024, the Port fully implemented the Express Pass program, an appointment system for trucking transactions that streamlines gate operations. Work is now underway to expand appointment and time slot features of this system, helping manage truck traffic before arrival and ensuring a smoother, more predictable terminal experience.
The Port also recently launched its Execution and Visibility Platform (EVP), a cloud-based API solution providing real-time operational data access. With endpoints covering vessel, inventory, and road services, EVP enables users to subscribe to updates and make data-driven decisions across the supply chain. This new platform reflects Port Houston’s commitment to delivering transparency and best-in-class customer service.
“We remain focused on providing value to our customers. From the Channel to the wharves, through our terminals, and onto the road, every step of the cargo movement process is important, and we are investing in each step,” said Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston. “We’re excited to launch EVP to provide customers improved access to their own data and cargo flows. This transparency will allow our customers to make better data driven decisions to reduce waste in the supply chain.”
Jenkins added, “Other investments will be coming to fruition soon, too – for example, the final Port-led segment of the Houston Ship Channel Expansion, which we call Project 11, is scheduled to be complete later this summer. Investments like these support our economy and will strengthen supply chains for years to come.”
Port Houston’s container terminals have grown faster than any other major U.S. container terminal in the past 10 years. In addition, the Houston Ship Channel remains the No. 1 waterway in the U.S., as ranked by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers based on 2023 tonnage. In that year, more than 309 million short tons of cargo moved through the Channel, far more than any other port.
