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The five ports in the Houston metro area (Freeport, Galveston, Houston, Houston Intercontinental Airport, and Texas City) handled 144.4 million metric tons of goods and commodities through July of this year, a 12.2 percent increase over the comparable period in ’21. Those shipments were valued at $173.1 billion, a 51.3 percent increase over ’21.

Exports are up in both weight and value. An increase in the value of crude, refined products, and fuel shipments account for 70.7 percent of the value increase and nearly 90 percent of the tonnage increase.

Imports are also up in weight and value year to date.  The on-going expansion of the U.S. economy is driving the need for crude and liquid fuel imports. The near recovery in the domestic rig count is driving the need for imported steel.

Prepared by Greater Houston Partnership Research Department

Patrick Jankowski, CERP
Chief Economist and Senior Vice President, Research
713-844-3616
pjankowski@houston.org

Clara Richardson 
Research Associate
crichardson@houston.org