Posted on June 29, 2026
Latest insights on cargo activity, vessel traffic, and regional trade performance.
HOUSTON – June 25, 2026 – Activity along the Houston Ship Channel continues to strengthen America’s energy competitiveness and Port Houston’s public terminals record best monthly container volumes since last summer.
“The Houston Ship Channel region is where American energy production meets global demand,” said Charlie Jenkins, CEO of Port Houston. “As our trading partners around the world continue to rely on U.S. energy exports, the Houston Ship Channel is delivering the capacity, reliability, and scale needed to keep those supply chains moving. The strong growth we are seeing in exports reflects years of investment across the region, including the Houston Ship Channel Expansion, known as Project 11, and the strength of an integrated energy supply chain that connects American producers to global markets.”
Key Takeaways
• Strong demand for U.S. energy products drove export growth through the Houston Ship Channel region, with crude oil export tonnage increasing 35% and refined product export tonnage increasing 29% through April.
• In May, Port Houston’s container terminals recorded their largest monthly volumes since July 2025. Loaded imports at the container terminals also reached their highest monthly volume since July 2025, signaling continued cargo demand.
• Steel import volumes reached their highest monthly level since August 2025, potentially signaling improving activity despite remaining below prior-year levels.
About Port Houston
For more than 100 years, Port Houston has owned and operated the eight public wharves and terminals along the Houston Ship Channel, including the area’s largest breakbulk facility and two of the most efficient container terminals in the country. Port Houston is the advocate and a strategic leader for the Channel. The Houston Ship Channel complex and its more than 200 private and eight public terminals is the nation’s largest port for waterborne tonnage and an essential economic engine for the Houston region, the state of Texas, and the U.S. The Port of Houston supports 1.54 million jobs in Texas and 3.37 million jobs nationwide, and economic activity totaling $439 billion in Texas – nearly 20 percent of Texas’ total gross domestic product (GDP) – and $906 billion in economic impact across the nation. For more information, visit the website at PortHouston.com.
