Port of Houston sees half-year box volumes slip 4%

The U.S. Gulf Coast port handled 1.09 million TEUs during the first half of 2016, a 4 percent decline from the corresponding period in 2015.    The Port of Houston’s container volumes in June grew 7 percent year-over-year to 192,846 TEUs. However, for the first six months of 2016, the port saw container volumes fall 4 percent from the corresponding period last year to 1.09 million TEUs.
   The primary reason for the difference is that temporary congestion on the West Coast resulted in one-off cargo flows to Gulf and East Coast ports in 2015. As labor and operational conditions improved out West, shippers resumed booking cargo on vessels serving Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland and Seattle/Tacoma. The Port of Houston experienced an 18 percent spike in container business last year, setting a record with more than 2 million TEUs.
   “We are optimistic about the second half of 2016, with the traction already gained in the East Asia trade, Port of Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther said.
   Year-to-date, loaded imports fell 9 percent, while exports were off 4 percent from the same period in 2015. However, volumes were boosted by a 52 percent surge in empty inbound containers to 119,613 TEUs.