Port Houston ended 2018 on a high note after container handling through the port climbed 6.3% on a year earlier in December. That included a acceleration in import growth to 6.0% from 4.1%. Shipments from China were the main drive with a 31.6% surge vs. a year earlier as importers sought to beat tariffs that have since been postponed. While the tariff delay will likely lead to slower handling growth, or even a decline, in early 2019 China only accounted for 20.1% of inbound volumes in 2018, mitigating the risk for the port authority’s finances.