Houston Ship Channel Again Ranked #1 U.S. Waterway
USACE Ranking, Leadership Appointments, and Historic Fleet Week Announced Port Houston's April Commission Meeting
Photo courtesy of Port Houston.
Port Houston Chairman Ric Campo announced at the April 29 Port Commission meeting that the Houston Ship Channel is once again ranked the number one waterway in the U.S., according to a recent report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“USACE”). Houston’s port handles approximately 12% of the nation’s total waterborne tonnage.
An incredible 309.5 million short tons of cargo moved through the Houston Ship Channel in 2023, which is the most recent available data, reflecting a 5.3% increase in total tonnage from the previous year and far more cargo than any other port in the nation. Volumes along the Ship Channel are so large that the tonnage gap between Houston and the second-ranked port is larger than 97% of ports in the country.
“This ranking reinforces just how vital the Houston Ship Channel is for our region and for the entire nation,” said Campo. “More than three million jobs depend on our Channel, and at Port Houston, it’s our job to protect this asset. With our Channel expansion project, known as Project 11, we are helping ensure this critical waterway remains open, safe, and competitive for decades to come.”
The 52-mile-long Houston Ship Channel serves more than 200 private and eight public terminals, in industries from petrochemicals and heavy machinery to consumer goods and energy. Its economic influence extends far beyond port gates, supporting 3.37 million jobs nationwide and generating $906 billion in annual economic activity in the United States.
Executive Leadership Team Retirements & Appointments
Chief Operating Officer Tom Heidt, who is retiring after 43 years of working at the port, was recognized by Port Houston CEO Charlie Jenkins. He has held several roles during his tenure, starting in accounting and assuming the role of Chief Operating Officer in 2015.
“Tom has dedicated his career to Port Houston, and we appreciate him and all he has done to help grow the port to what it is today,” said Jenkins. “With his retirement comes the opportunity for new leadership, and we look forward to what is to come.”
Jenkins also highlighted other organizational changes, including that effective May 1, 2025, Chief People Officer Jessica Shaver will assume the role of Chief Administrative Officer, overseeing many aspects of the organization, including strategic planning and people management.
Chief Business Equity Officer Carlecia Wright assumes the role of Chief People Officer, and the Director of Operations and Planning Candice Armenoff has been named Chief Strategy Officer, a new position. Port Houston is also actively searching for a Chief Operating Officer to oversee other important aspects of the organization, such as commercial, operations, maintenance, and infrastructure.
Project 11 Update
USACE is set to award their second Project 11 contract for the construction of the Beltway 8 Dredged Material Placement Area. Meanwhile, the two remaining Port-led Project 11 dredging contracts with Weeks Marine and Callan Marine are progressing on budget. The final segment in the Galveston Bay area, between Bayport and Barbours Cut, is anticipated to be fully completed and open to two-way traffic mid-2025.
Operations updates indicated that the total tonnage across all public terminals through March is down 2%, but this is still an improvement over last month, which saw a decline mostly related to fog. Container volumes since the start of the year have surpassed 1 million TEU and remain fairly flat compared to 2024.
The container terminals recorded the busiest March on record, driven by strong export volume, up 13% from last March. It is noteworthy that this was also largely driven by recovery from February’s low performance. Volumes at the multipurpose facilities remained down as well, at 7% since the start of the year, but they rebounded slightly month over month by 2%. This was driven by weak liquid imports and export dry bulk volumes, while steel was up 4% since the beginning of the year.
Historic Fleet Week to be Hold at Port Houston
The City of Houston along with Port Houston, and other partners, will be hosting the Navy Fleet Week for the first time in November 2025. “We are excited to be a part of this celebration, honoring 250 years of the U.S. Marines and Navy,” said Jenkins. “We will also be hosting a few ships at our terminals and look forward to partnering with the city on this exciting milestone event.”