Chief Executive Officer Alec G. Dreyer reported to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority at its January 25 meeting that December was a good month for the Port Authority in steel and containers, with improvements in other cargo categories as well.

The Port Authority handled 249,000 tons of steel in December 2010 — reflecting an increase of 174 percent over December 2009.

“For the year, steel finished 2 percent above the 2009 level based upon strong growth in the last nine months of 2010,” Dreyer said. “At present, we expect a 13-to-14 percent increase in steel volumes in 2011 over 2010, with the annual level approaching 3.1 million tons.”

He also noted that container revenue was up a robust 12 percent in December, reflecting the strong growth in loaded units for the month. For 2010, container revenue is up 11 percent compared to 2009, with container tonnage up 10 percent for that period. Turning Basin revenue was up 25 percent for December, and was up 8 percent for the year, reflecting the strong year-end finish for steel volumes.

Ship arrivals at Port Authority facilities are up over 5.6 percent for 2010 versus 2009, Dreyer said. He also noted barge traffic has shown significant growth all year and is up 17 percent in December year-to-date.