Port of Corpus Christi records highest-ever quarter one throughput

The Port of Corpus Christi recorded its highest-ever first quarter for freight movement through its shipping channel in 2025, driven by increased oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, the South Texas port said on Wednesday.

The port and its customers moved 51.3 million tonnes of commodities through the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, exceeding 50 million tonnes of volume for the first time during that period.

The Port of Corpus Christi is the third-largest port in the US in total waterborne tonnage, located strategically on Gulf of Mexico's western side, and acts as a major gateway to international and domestic maritime commerce.

Crude oil shipments in Q1 2025 totaled 33.4 million tonnes, while LNG volumes were at 4.3 million tonnes, the Port of Corpus Christi said, adding, dry and breakbulk commodities saw gains, with overall Q1 2025 tonnage up five per cent from a year earlier.

The final phase of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel Improvement Project is currently underway, which is likely to be completed by mid-2025.

The port said the project is expected to improve waterways along the Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida, upon completion, with a 54-foot-deep and 530-foot-wide ship channel, along with additional barge shelves.

(Reporting by Sarah Qureshi in Bengaluru; Editing by Aurora Ellis)