Houston Ship Channel vessel activity hits seven-year high

The rise in ship traffic comes alongside growing cargo volumes moving through the Houston Ship Channel.

IMAGE: Morgan's Point, the shipyard at the Port of Houston, located on the shores of Galveston Bay. Getty Images.

Vessel activity along the Houston Ship Channel has continued to rise in 2026, with more than 2,000 vessel arrivals recorded through the first quarter of the year, marking a 5% increase compared to the same period last year.

According to the Port of Houston, ship calls in April increased by 6% year-on-year, and March and April together marked the highest level of vessel activity along the channel since 2019.

The increase in vessel traffic can result in stronger bunker demand at the port of Houston, one of the busiest bunkering hubs in the Americas.

Bunker demand in Houston has remained strong over the past week, with prompt fuel availability a bit tight across most suppliers, a trader tells ENGINE.

Lead times for HSFO and LSMGO are currently estimated between 5-7 days, while VLSFO requires at least 5 days to be procured.

Port of Houston CEO Charlie Jenkins said the port is not only seeing an increase in the number of vessels, but also these larger ships carrying greater volumes of cargo into the port.

This has resulted in a nearly 27% increase in tonnage since 2019.

Waterborne tonnage moving in and out of Houston increased by 12% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, driven primarily by exports, according to the port.

"Houston continues to be a leader for energy exports," Jenkins said.

"At our port complex overall, exports of petroleum gases are up 33%, refined products are up 24%, and crude oil is up 19% through the first quarter of this year."

The port also noted that the expansion of the Galveston Bay Reach section of the Houston Ship Channel is helping improve vessel movements and enabling larger volumes of cargo to move through Houston to global markets.

By Gautamee Hazarika

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