Port Houston handled 2.22 million TEUs in the first half of 2026 — its largest first-half container volume on record and about 3% more than the same period last year, according to Port Technology International.
June imports jumped
June alone saw 389,962 TEUs, up 18% year over year. Loaded imports drove the gain, rising 27% to 177,097 TEUs, while loaded exports slipped about 2% to 131,011 TEUs. General cargo at the port’s public terminals was up 34% year to date, with breakbulk up 35%.
Across the wider Houston Ship Channel region, total trade tonnage was up 17% through May, led by a 23% increase in exports. Port leadership described the region as resilient and well positioned for long-term growth.
Why this matters for Houston warehouses and truckers
More import containers arriving in Houston means more freight that has to be unloaded, sorted and moved inland. Many of those containers arrive floor-loaded and need to be devanned, palletized and transloaded onto 53′ trailers before they head to distribution centers across Texas and beyond.
- Demurrage and per diem add up fast when containers wait for a dock door.
- Transloading saves trucks: freight from three 40′ containers can often fit into two 53′ trailers.
- Drayage, devanning and storage work best together when one partner handles the hand-offs.
Our container devanning and transloading and drayage services are built for exactly this kind of volume.
Source: Port Technology International, “Port Houston posts record H1 2026 container volumes,” July 21, 2026.
Need help moving freight through Houston? MV Houston Crossdock offers 24/7 crossdocking, reefer storage, lumper services, pallet restack and short-term pallet storage at 7075 FM 1960 Rd W, Houston, TX 77069. Call (786) 510-6623.