HOUSTON – Although Port Houston is ground zero for goods, there’s still no shortage of work to be done.
“These two terminals make up about 70% of the container volume that’s handled in the U.S. Gulf,” Roger Guenther, the executive director said.
Still, there are major goods and retail shipping delays around the country. Guenther said Port Houston is not immune to the shipping delays.
“A lot of people that left the workforce didn’t return to the workforce, like those that work in the distribution centers where this cargo is ultimately going,” he explained.
Guenther said to put it simply, the supply chain is overburdened right now.
“They’re coming off the ship faster than they are leaving the terminal,” he explained.
Guenther believes it’s stemming from the pandemic and more people shopping online.
“Just a tremendous demand was unleashed on the economy in the U.S.,” Guenther said. “So, it’s really unprecedented surge in import demand that’s really causing the challenges across the country.”
They’re currently on offense, and storing more containers than ever before.
“We’ve got a 40-acre rail ramp over here,” he said.
Guenther also explained Project 11.
“It’s a deepening and a widening project of the Houston ship channel,” he explained.
Project 11 is a historic proposal that has been in the works since 2014. The project will allow for larger ships and two-way traffic. Guenther said the timing couldn’t be better.
“I just see opportunity. I see jobs. I see the economic impact,” he said.
The final approval for Project 11 is being voted on Tuesday by Port Commissioners.