Port Traffic Metrics: Houston, Jacksonville

Port Houston Container Volumes Continue to Increase

Nearly 10 million tons of cargo was shipped through Port Houston during first quarter 2017, an 11 percent increase from last year, reported Port Executive Director Roger Guenther at the Port Commission’s April meeting. Much of the growth was due to the port's skyrocketing container trade, up 19 percent for the quarter to a record 607,462 TEUs.

Houston’s Barbours Cut Container terminal opened for business 40 years ago this April. Since then, the port has experienced strong container traffic growth, topping 2.0 million TEUs for the first time ever in 2015. Houston now accounts for more than 65 percent of all container activity in the U.S. Gulf region.

JAXPORT Records Double Digit Growth in Vehicle Volumes

During the past six months, the Jacksonville Port Authority - JAXPORT recorded 12 percent growth in vehicle movements, from 321,741 a year earlier to 360,945 during the first half of the fiscal year that began last October 1. That includes gains of 15 percent for imports and 4 percent for exports.

Vehicles include automobiles, passenger trucks and SUVs, as well as construction equipment, semi-trucks and other heavy wheeled and tracked machinery.

More than 636,000 vehicles moved through Jacksonville last year; even more are expected in FY 2017.

The port is home to three major auto processors, AMPORTS, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics and Southeast Toyota Distributors, offering facilities as close as 100 yards from ship berths.

Earlier this year, JAXPORT became the Southeast distribution point for the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the FCA US LLC new premium mid-size sedan manufactured in Italy. The vehicles are transported to JAXPORT via Grimaldi Lines, offloaded by APS Stevedoring, and processed by AMPORTS.