Port Houston is reducing the amount of free time granted to refrigerated import containers at its marine terminals, responding to persistent dwell issues as reefer cargo continues to grow faster than dry imports.
The port’s Board of Commissioners approved a tariff change on Monday that will reduce free time for imported refrigerated containers from seven days to four. The new policy will take effect on May 1.
Reefer shippers will still be eligible for an additional three days of free time if their cargo is selected for inspection by US Customs and Border Protection or the US Department of Agriculture.
Chief Port Operations Officer Ryan Mariacher said the revised policy brings Houston more closely in line with how other ports manage refrigerated imports. He said the goal is to support shippers that need faster handling of temperature-sensitive commodities and to reinforce the port’s role as a transit facility rather than a storage point.
Mariacher did not provide current average dwell figures for reefer containers. However, in June 2025, when the port approved a higher demurrage rate for refrigerated boxes, he said some shippers had been leaving reefer cargo at the port for a week or longer.
The policy change comes as Houston’s refrigerated import trade continues to expand.
According to PIERS data, Houston handled 83,354 TEUs of reefer cargo in 2025, a 9.7% increase from 2024. By comparison, total imports rose just 1.5% year over year to 1.93 million TEUs.
Much of the reefer growth has been driven by Houston’s north-south services. Imports from Guatemala, the port’s second-largest source of refrigerated cargo after China, rose 9% in 2025 to 10,913 TEUs, led mainly by bananas.
The surge in US beef prices has also supported stronger inbound reefer flows. Refrigerated imports from Brazil jumped 71% to 8,185 TEUs, driven by meat and animal protein. At the same time, Colombia’s refrigerated meat exports to Houston climbed 56% to 6,249 TEUs.
As refrigerated traffic continues to expand, Port Houston is clearly signaling that faster cargo evacuation will now be a more important part of its operating model.
