Port of Houston restricts containerships at request of energy companies
The decision came after intense lobbying by energy shipping firms that said 1,100 ft containerships have disrupted traffic along the Houston Ship Channel, especially among tankers that carry increasing US exports of petroleum
The port of Houston is reached by a 50-mile channel from the Gulf of Mexico, with hundreds of ships traversing the waterway in two-way traffic each day. However, Houston Pilots require one-way traffic for ships longer than 1,096 ft