Container volumes at Port Houston up 7% year-to-date but down 15% in October

Port Houston has recorded a 7% increase in container volumes to 3.43m teu from the start of this year until October but registered a 15% decrease for the month, reaching 309,623 teu. 

Volumes are expected to be solid through to the end of 2024 as, according to early market reports, activity is predicted to surge in November and into the new year as users push volumes ahead of January’s labour contract expiration and the early Chinese New Year and factory closures in Asia. 

General cargo through Port Houston’s public terminals was down 5% in October and steel imports fell by 25% across the month, reflecting a 7% decrease in Texas onshore and offshore rig activity.