Gulf Trade: Top Carriers and Ports

Special Report

Breakbulk steel imports through Houston and New Orleans fell 8 % and 29 %, respectively, in 2025. Shutterstock. com

“ For the carriers that are calling New Orleans, if they do have routes in the Middle East, they may have disruptions where it affects their capacity from a global fleet perspective,” she said.“ But we’ re not anticipating significant impacts on the breakbulk and project cargo side, and we haven’ t really seen any direct impacts yet.” Mansour acknowledged that the Middle East is not a major shipping lane for breakbulk and project cargoes for the port.

‘ Growing diversification’

With tariffs chipping away at steel imports, Port Houston is looking to cargo diversification and Gulf Coast project developments to expand cargo shipments for the nation’ s largest breakbulk and project cargo gateway.

Volumes of general cargo— which the port defines as project cargo, breakbulk and other non-containerized goods— reached 564,346 tons in January, a 27 % yearover-year increase, according to Port Houston data.

That growth trend is expected to continue, driven in part by a mix of projects under development in the region, port spokesperson Lisa Ashley-Daniels told the Journal of Commerce.

“ There are several major industrial and energy projects along the Gulf Coast that are expected to move forward

between 2026 and 2028, with the potential to generate considerable breakbulk and heavy-lift cargo through Port Houston,” she said.

Breakbulk steel imports at Port Houston declined 35 % year over year to 213,653 tons in January, according to port data, mirroring larger trends tied to lower drilling activity, Ashley-Daniels said. For all of 2025, breakbulk steel volumes fell 8 % to just under 4.2 million tons.

“ The decline in steel imports that Houston experienced in January is not unique to the port, but reflects broad shifts in energy markets, supply and demand drivers, regulatory environments, and trade policies, among other contributing factors,” she said.

Significant activity from cargo types other than steel is driving an overall rise in general cargo volumes at the port, Ashley-Daniels said, citing quadruple-digit growth in machinery, triple-digit increases in grain, and doubledigit gains in pet coke volumes and roll-on / roll-off cargo in February.

“ The growing diversification of breakbulk cargo beyond steel is helping to stabilize overall activity,” Ashley-Daniels said, adding that cargo activity for these commodities is expected to increase further.

email: autumn @ autumngiusti. com

Port Houston is investing in infrastructure. We have added capacity at our Bayport Container Terminal with the addition of a new wharf and cranes, and we’ ve expanded the Houston Ship Channel through the Galveston Bay Reach, allowing for larger vessels and improving efficiency along the nation ' s number one waterway. Get your cargo to your customers faster by choosing Port Houston.

www. porthouston. com

www. joc. com April 6, 2026 | Journal of Commerce 33