PORT Houston achieved record-breaking container volumes in March, handling 386,864 TEU, marking a 7 per cent increase from last year.
However, the momentum faces significant headwinds as new forecasts predict a sharp downturn in US imports amid the Trump Administration's escalating global trade war, reports Ventura, California's gCaptain.
'While March was a solid month for us, we're watching closely for shifts in the global market and how that could impact cargo in our region in the coming months,' said port's CEO, Charlie Jenkins.
March's success was primarily driven by strong export performance, with loaded exports surging 14 per cent year over year to 152,857 TEU.
Import activity showed modest growth, increasing by 2 per cent. The port's year-to-date container volumes have surpassed 1 million TEU through the first quarter of 2025, reaching 1,068,695, maintaining stable levels compared to the previous year.
However, the National Retail Federation's latest Global port Tracker report paints a concerning picture for US containerized imports.
The report projects May 2025 will mark the end of 19 consecutive months of inbound growth, with import volumes expected to plummet to 1.66 million TEU, representing a potentially significant 20.5 per cent decline.
Previous forecasts had anticipated April handling 2.13 million TEU and May reaching 2.14 million TEU. The updated outlook now predicts the first half of 2025 will see volumes of 11.73 million TEU, marking a 2.9 per cent year-over-year decrease instead of the previously expected 5.7 per cent growth.
Industry forecasts suggest the impact of the trade war could be severe, with import cargo volumes potentially decreasing by 20 per cent in the second half of 2025, leading to a projected 15 per cent decline in total annual cargo volume.
SeaNews Turkey
However, the momentum faces significant headwinds as new forecasts predict a sharp downturn in US imports amid the Trump Administration's escalating global trade war, reports Ventura, California's gCaptain.
'While March was a solid month for us, we're watching closely for shifts in the global market and how that could impact cargo in our region in the coming months,' said port's CEO, Charlie Jenkins.
March's success was primarily driven by strong export performance, with loaded exports surging 14 per cent year over year to 152,857 TEU.
Import activity showed modest growth, increasing by 2 per cent. The port's year-to-date container volumes have surpassed 1 million TEU through the first quarter of 2025, reaching 1,068,695, maintaining stable levels compared to the previous year.
However, the National Retail Federation's latest Global port Tracker report paints a concerning picture for US containerized imports.
The report projects May 2025 will mark the end of 19 consecutive months of inbound growth, with import volumes expected to plummet to 1.66 million TEU, representing a potentially significant 20.5 per cent decline.
Previous forecasts had anticipated April handling 2.13 million TEU and May reaching 2.14 million TEU. The updated outlook now predicts the first half of 2025 will see volumes of 11.73 million TEU, marking a 2.9 per cent year-over-year decrease instead of the previously expected 5.7 per cent growth.
Industry forecasts suggest the impact of the trade war could be severe, with import cargo volumes potentially decreasing by 20 per cent in the second half of 2025, leading to a projected 15 per cent decline in total annual cargo volume.
SeaNews Turkey
