Port Houston Cargo Tonnage Up 7 Percent in 2018

HOUSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The amount of cargo handled at Port Houston was up 7 percent through the
first two months of 2018, signaling another strong year, Executive
Director Roger Guenther announced Tuesday.

Through February, Port Houston terminals handled 6.1 million tons of
cargo, which Guenther called an encouraging start for this year. He made
the remarks at the March meeting of the Port Commission.

“We are off and running, a quarter of the way through another busy year,
and port facilities are seeing tremendous activity and delivering solid
results,” Guenther told attendees at the commission meeting.

Those results include a noteworthy uptick in steel imports, which were
up 17 percent in January and February. Although steel tariffs went into
effect in mid-March, exemptions have been granted for many countries
that import steel, and steel volumes at Port Houston continue to look
strong.

Container activity is up nearly 1 percent for the first two months,
despite being compared to 2017, a year where substantial container
volume increases were recorded, the executive director noted. While
container exports have been less than expected so far, the increased
production of resins resulting from the expansion of facilities along
the Houston Ship Channel is beginning to materialize and an upward trend
is anticipated for the remainder of the year.

Port Houston in 2017 was the fastest-growing of the top 10 container
ports in the United States, based on PIERS data.

Port Commissioners Tuesday approved investments to handle future demand
of general cargo and container facilities, including design for
rehabilitation and repair of Dock 9 at the Turning Basin Terminal and
the purchase of eight rubber-tired-gantry cranes at the Barbours Cut
Container Terminal.

Also Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard presented Port Houston the 2018 Rear
Admiral Richard E. Bennis Award, Port Authority category. The
presentation was made by Rear Admiral John Nadeau, who highlighted the
work done by Port Houston staff to keep the nation’s vital marine
transportation system moving, particularly after Hurricane Harvey.
Commission Chairman Janiece Longoria thanked him and lauded members of
the Port Security and emergency operations team for their efforts in
achieving the award.

The chairman also noted Tuesday that Commissioners Theldon Branch,
Stephen DonCarlos and John D. Kennedy were reappointed to additional
two-year terms on the Port Commission.

About the Port of Houston Authority

For more than 100 years, the Port of Houston Authority has owned and
operated the public wharves and terminals of the Port of Houston – the
nation’s largest port for foreign waterborne tonnage and an essential
economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas, and the
nation. It supports the creation of nearly 1.175 million jobs in
Texas and 2.7 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling
almost $265 billion in Texas – 16 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic
product – and more than $617 billion in economic impact across the
nation. For more information, visit the Port Authority website at: www.portofhouston.com.

Contacts

Port Houston
Bill Hensel, Manager External Communications
Office:
713-670-2893; Mobile: 832-452-5776
E-mail: [email protected]