Container activity at Port Houston, the largest container port on the United States Gulf Coast, continued slowing in May due to the coronavirus outbreak and TEUs were down 16%. Container activity remains up 1% for the year compared to 2019.
Port Houston handled a total of 222,250 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in May, compared to May of 2019, when a total of 263,061 TEUs were handled. For the full year Port Houston has handled 1,216,877 TEUs, surpassing the 1,209,921 TEUs for the same period in 2019.>
Total tonnage for May was down 14%, with steel, breakbulk, bulk and grain all down compared to May of last year, which is not surprising given the impact the global pandemic has had on the maritime sector and national economies around the world.
“We had nine blank sailings in the month of May,” Executive Director Roger Guenther said. “But the worst should be behind us. We are aware of seven blank or cancelled sailings to Houston in June and only three for the month of July.” Guenther continued, “The State of Texas is leading the country in getting the world’s 10th largest economy kick-started and Port Houston continues to develop the necessary infrastructure to meet or exceed our customers’ needs. In April the U.S. Army Corps signed off on the Houston Ship Channel Expansion Project 11 and all signs point to congressional approval this year. With that, the Houston Ship Channel will be wider and safer to support American commerce through the Greater Port of Houston,” said Guenther.
Strict safety protocols to avoid the spread of COVID-19 remain in place at its facilities. Port Houston places the health and safety of its workers first and thanks the men and women working on all the private and public docks, driving trucks in and out of the port, and our other maritime transportation workers, who all support the port’s daily functions.
