GULF Coast ports in Houston and New Orleans reported strong cargo volumes in February as plastics and resins helped drive exports of loaded containers.
Port Houston container volume in February rose 15 per cent compared to the same month last year to 313,452 TEU, reports New York's FreightWaves.
"Our cargo activities continue to remain solid for the first two months of the year versus 2022," Roger Guenther, Port Houston's executive director, said recently. "Our overall tonnage is up 7 per cent today compared to last year; that's collectively for all of our terminals."
Import containers were up 20 per cent year over year (y/y) in February to 159,787 TEU. Imports were down 7 per cent compared to January.
Imports of steel, which helped carry Port Houston to some record-breaking months during 2022, were down 30 per cent y/y in February to 327,655 tonnes.
Export containers were up 11 per cent y/y to 153,665 TEU. Total export tonnage was up 9 per cent y/y to 2.2 million tonnes.
Mr Guenther said ports across the country are seeing "softening" import demand as retailers try to get rid of inventory sitting in their distribution centers nationwide.
Total imports, including empty import containers, were down 4 per cent y/y in February to 2.3 million tonnes.
"For the US overall, we are now seeing some considerable softening of demand at our container terminals as well, especially in the import of containers in Houston," Mr Guenther said.
"Retailers in our country, and regionally and across the country, have a very high level of inventory in their distribution centers. It's likely imports will continue to trend down during the first half of the year as retailers are selling off these goods that they have in these distribution centers. We believe the recovery of the volume will start in the second half of the year."
Jeff Davis, Port Houston's chief operations officer, also said imports are "dropping off" with less cargo from Asia.
"As we look at this month, it is up, but compared to the last six months of [2022], it's starting to drop off," Mr Davis said. "We're not seeing empties go back to Asia and come back as full containers."
Mr Davis also said there are no container ships waiting to get into the port as the ship queue has gone to zero.
During February, ship calls were down 6 per cent y/y to 581 vessels, while barges calling at the port fell 29 per cent to 262.
The Port of New Orleans reported total TEU in February of 38,456 TEU, a 33 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Top containerized commodities that passed through the port in February were plastics, resins and chemicals.
"Overall container figures are up compared to February 2022," Kimberly Curth, the port's spokeswoman, told FreightWaves. "This is an encouraging sign as export demand is strengthening."
Breakbulk cargo totaled 125,580 short tonnes in February, a 35 per cent y/y decline compared to the same month in 2022.
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