The Port of Houston is widely known for the fact that it handles a lot of merchandise, and according to their latest data, they handled around 334,493 TEU’s and according to the year-to-date data, the volume is at 1,237,876 TEU’s.

One of the main reasons why the Gulf Coast experienced such an influx in volume is due to the West Coast’s congestion and labor issues. I think that re-routing cargo to Texas is a great solution. The Texas Gulf Coast has proven such a great option both from a cost and time-saving benefit, that I’ve worked with multiple clients over the last year to completely relocate their warehousing and distribution hubs to Houston. 

Even if the capacities are at an all-time high at this time, things like tax benefits, the labor market and real estate market bring in a feasible solution for businesses looking to relocate. Additionally, those who distribute domestically within the US are gravitating towards Houston because it’s in between the West and East Coast. It brings in shorter transit times, which are extremely important in a situation like this.

In order to prepare for the strong container activity that will most likely continue throughout the year, The Port of Houston is implementing new changes. Their focus is to increase the overall capacity while also integrating more flexibility for the users. I think that these improvements are indeed needed for The Port of Houston so it can better accommodate the current stream of cargo ships. 

The port has made some changes like extending the gate hours as well as adding gates available on Saturday and they also increased the gate hours. There are also talks focused on expanding the container space very soon. I am very excited to see that Port Houston is bringing in so much growth to the region, and it can also help eliminate at least some of the burden from the East and West coast ports! 

The main expansion project is focused on making the Galveston Bay channel 170 feet wider, and the upstream segments will also become 45 feet deeper. In doing so, the port will be able to offer support for cargo ships with a much larger capacity. It will also make it easier for ships to go to the terminals safely and without any problems. 

More information can be found on the increasing volumes and upcoming changes to the Port of Houston at https://www.porttechnology.org/news/port-houston-posts-busiest-april-on-record/ and https://www.streetinsider.com/Business+Wire/Official+Start+of+%241B+Deepening+%26amp%3B+Widening+of+the+Houston+Ship+Channel/20152976.html