Port Houston handled 370,034 teu in January, the highest January container volume on record and a 4% increase year on year, according to Port Houston.
The increase was driven by higher loaded import and export volumes through the Houston Ship Channel, with both segments up 5% compared with January last year.
Imports remained broadly stable across multiple sectors, while exports continued to be led by petrochemical products and resins, which account for a significant share of outbound container flows.
The port currently handles about 60% of US resin exports, a share expected to rise as new packaging capacity becomes operational.
Phase I of Packwell’s 725,000-sq-ft resin packaging facility near the Bayport Container Terminal has been completed.
The site provides direct rail access for unloading hopper cars, high-speed packaging systems, warehousing and transload capabilities adjacent to the marine terminal complex.
The additional capacity is expected to lower costs and improve connectivity to carrier services calling at Port Houston.
Refrigerated container traffic also continued to expand. Refrigerated imports and exports through the port rose 13% in 2025, supported by established cold-chain infrastructure and US Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service cold-treatment certification.
The approval allows shipments to complete required cold-treatment processes while in transit, improving supply chain efficiency and access to perishable cargoes.
Operational activity reflected the stronger demand, with the port recording a single-day high of 16,438 truck transactions at its container terminals in January.
Vessel arrivals along the Houston Ship Channel were up 2% at the start of the year.
Cargo performance at other public terminals was mixed.
Steel imports declined 35% to 213,653 short tons in January, in line with lower drilling activity as indicated by the Baker Hughes rig count.
General cargo volumes increased 27% during the month.
Across all cargo categories, Port Houston handled 4,546,589 short tons in January, up 6% year on year.
Port Houston is a navigation district and port authority that owns and operates eight public terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, covering container, breakbulk and multipurpose cargo. It manages public port infrastructure and provides strategic oversight for the Houston Ship Channel complex, which includes more than 200 private terminals.
