Port of Houston CEO says import and total steel tonnages highest since April 09

Wednesday, 28 April 2010 01:32:37 (GMT+2)

"March continued to evidence an improving economic situation and more signs are beginning to point towards a more 'V-like' recovery rather than an elongated 'U' recovery, which had been our prevailing assumption," he said.

Dreyer reported that import and total steel tonnages in March continued to trend upward from low levels in late 2009. "In fact, March 2010 steel tonnage was the best month we've seen since April 2009," he said.

In addition, container twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to date have increased 18 percent, with loaded and empty containers showing 10 percent and 42 percent increases, respectively.  The loaded TEUs for this year were split 67 percent export and 33 percent import, while empties (one-third of the total volume) were split 87 percent import and 13 percent export. 

"As a result, we're seeing growth in empties at our facilities-pre-positioning for export-which guides us to continue to be bullish on the economic recovery," Dreyer said. "Overall, our TEUs were split 51 percent export and 49 percent import year-to-date through March."

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