Port of Houston Reports Record Cargo, Revenue

The Port of Houston Authority released figures yesterday detailing record cargo movement for 2015 year to date.

In his monthly financial report to the Port Commission, Executive Director Roger Guenther said that the Port Authority’s Barbours Cut and Bayport container terminals were particularly busy in March. A combined 40 percent more loaded containers were handled in that month, compared to a year ago. The record amounts of freight were moved, despite issues associated with a ship channel closure earlier in March. Guenther again lauded the collaborative effort, led by U.S. Coast Guard in the response and recovery resulting from the collision that caused the closure.

Through the first quarter of 2015, loaded container units increased by 24 percent over 2014, Guenther reported. Import steel continues to exceed projections, up by more than 66 percent for the year.  Guenther also reiterated that steel increases are expected to taper off over the next several months, as indicated by discussions at the Steel Roundtable held in March.

Although cargo volumes and cash flows are doing well, the port noted that there will be funding challenges over the next decade as the port builds new facilities and maintains existing infrastructure. “It is essential that we have public support for our infrastructure needs as we move forward,” Guenther said.

Additionally, the port is expected to offload new super post-panamex cranes at the Barbours Cut Terminal Currently, the cranes are in the Caribbean Sea and ready for the homestretch across the Gulf into Houston.

Chairman Janiece Longoria and Guenther have also partnered up to participate in a Port Region Transportation Committee meeting, hosted by the Economic Alliance.

Addressing the topic Longoria stated, “We emphasized the need to promote projects that make the entire region more competitive economically, and this meeting set the groundwork for us to move forward as a region with one voice on critical transportation improvements.”