Port Houston surpasses 2 million TEUs in September

Port Houston continues to lead last year's container volume pace, showing 10 percent growth through the third quarter, port officials said this week. The port surpassed 2 million twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) in September, the earliest the port has reached that milestone, according to Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther.

The news emphasizes the long-term recovery in the region following the impact of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Guenther said container activity in Houston will maintain its stride through the end of the year.

"There is still a lot of activity across our docks, and the trends are positive through Port Houston terminals as we make the stretch run through the end of 2018," Guenther said in a report to the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority this week.

Guenther noted strength in import steel through Port Houston terminals, driven by growth in the energy sector. The port's general cargo terminals have handled 3.5 million tons year-to-date, with more than 478,000 tons in steel recorded in September alone, he said.

Port officials also said they will purchase eight new rubber-tired gantry (RTG) cranes for its Barbours Cut Container Terminal to accommodate growth.

Separately, Florida's Port Canaveral posted strong results for fiscal year 2018 this week, reporting more than $103 million in revenue for the year. Cargo revenues rose 18 percent to $10.15 million, with tonnage increasing 6.9 percent to 6.4 million tons compared with fiscal year 2017, port officials said in a statement announcing the year-end results.