Port Houston Container Volumes Fall Sharply in April Amid Weakened Trade Activity

Cargo container volumes at the Port of Houston posted a sharp decline in April as weaker import and export demand weighed on overall shipping activity, while steel imports and exports tied to the oil and gas sector recorded steep losses.

A total of 353,319 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) moved through the facility in April; a 10% fall from March while a 9% decrease from a year prior.

Loaded imports totaled 162,798 TEUs, an 8% fall from the previous year. Loaded exports totaled 132,339 TEUs, a 5% fall compared with last April. Empty container volumes, an indicator of ongoing supply chain imbalances and elevated repositioning activity, were 18% lower compared with last year, totaling 58,182 TEUs during the month.

TEU volumes are often viewed as a barometer for bunker fuel demand, reflecting overall shipping activity in the region.

Imports of steel products related to the oil and gas industry, including line pipe, standard pipe, oil country goods, heavy structural shapes, and wire rods, totaled 292,853 tons in April, a 27% fall from the same month last year. Steel exports posted a sizable drop, shrinking 51% to 18,274 tons.

At the same time, bunker fuel prices have continued to climb across major shipping hubs due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East and ongoing disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global chokepoint for oil and fuel shipments. According to the OPIS Global Marine Fuels Report, Houston very low-sulfur fuel oil averaged $842 per metric ton ex-wharf in April, up $379/mt from a year earlier.

Reporting by Erik Papke, epapke@opisnet.com; Editing by Tom Sosnowski, tsosnowski@opisnet.com