Maritime
2025 Annual Review & Outlook
Essential enhancements
US Gulf Coast ports expanding to handle continued volume growth
By Michael Angell
A look back : Port Houston continues to be the region ’ s preferred gateway , with containerized imports rising 9.3 % in the first 11 months of 2024 , according to PIERS , a sister product of the Journal of Commerce within S & P Global . That year-to-date growth has significantly outstripped the 1 % total volume growth forecast in Port Houston ’ s 2024 operating budget , as well as the 7.9 % growth rate for the Gulf Coast region as a whole . Despite a hurricane and a CrowdStrike outage , both of which shut the port down for several days , and a three-day coastwide dockworker strike , Houston ’ s two marine terminals remained fluid , evidenced by low container dwell and truck turn times throughout the year . The ports of Mobile and New Orleans saw container imports grow 4.2 % and 4.8 %, respectively , through November . Amid the import growth , ocean carriers have added more container services to the US Gulf Coast . Maersk , for example , resumed its TP20 service between Asia and Houston in March 2024 , thanks to higher container demand . Zim Integrated Shipping Services also added its first north-south container service to the Gulf Coast , with calls at Houston and Mobile .
A look ahead : Houston has already started testing its first appointment system for drayage drivers , and the port hopes to increase voluntary participation to over 70 % before mandating its use sometime in 2025 . Houston ’ s container handling capacity is set for a boost with the expected mid-2025 completion of the first half of Project 11 , a widening of the port ’ s shipping channel that will allow an additional 1,400 vessels of all types to call the port each year . The completion of a major phase of Project 11 coincides with the installation of three new cranes at Houston ’ s Bayport Container Terminal , with another eight on order for a new berth . Mobile will be able to handle increased volumes in 2025 with the addition of two new cranes at its container terminal last year . The port is also furthering its intermodal access , with plans announced in 2024 for the development of the North Alabama inland port , served by CSX Transportation and catering to the state ’ s manufacturing sector . Mobile also plans to open another inland port in Montgomery , Ala ., early this year .
US Gulf Coast volumes bounce back after slight decline in 2023
Containerized imports and exports through US Gulf Coast ports , in laden TEUs , with year-over-year change
TEU volume
400,000 382,116 350,000
300,000
250,000 100,000 200,000
150,000 100,000 50,000
Source : PIERS , S & P Global
0 L Jan Dec , 2023
2022 Apr Jul Oct Jan 2024 Apr Jul Oct TEU
eventually bring its capacity to over 1 million TEUs per year . New Orleans will also start work this year on its new terminal , the 2 million-TEU Louisiana International Terminal , after receiving $ 300 million in federal grants , with a goal of receiving its first ships in 2028 .
email : michael . angell @ spglobal . com
Year-over-year % change
The big picture : US Gulf Coast ports have seen higher-than-expected container volumes as consumer spending remained resilient during 2024 and shippers brought in cargo ahead of the deadline for a longshore labor strike . With volumes likely to increase again in 2025 , new port infrastructure across the region should help maintain fluidity throughout the coming year .
80 %
60 %
40 % 100 % 20 %
0 %
-20 %
-40 %
Year-over-year % change
© 2024 S & P Global
US Gulf Coast imports rose 7.9 % through November after a 7.7 % drop in the same 2023 period . Brandon Bell / Getty Images
The next inflection : Mobile will also increase vessel capacity in mid-2025 with the end of its harbor modernization project , which will deepen the port to 50 feet and allow easier passage for large vessels . Mobile also announced the fourth expansion of its container terminal , which will
32 Journal of Commerce | January 6 , 2025 www . joc . com