Statistics
Ike hits Houston, and gas prices jump, but New York is No. 1 for imports
September 15th, 2008
Hurricane Ike’s pounding of Houston and the Gulf Coast over the weekend was having an effect on gas prices even before landfall, even though the nation’s fourth-largest city hasn’t been the nation’s leading importer of refined petroleum products since 2000.
Since 2000, the New York Customs district, which includes Newark, N.J., has led the nation in imports of refined petroleum products such as gasoline, according to WorldCity analysis of U.S. Census data.
Houston is of course critical to the nation’s energy supply. While it is second in refined petroleum imports, it is No. 1 in crude oil imports.
The Customs district, which also includes nearby Galvaston, is also critical to the chemical industry, leading the nation is a wide variety of imports and exports that are central in the manufacturing of everyday items for consumers and complex products for business.
Houston is not only the nation’s fourth-largest city, it is the nation’s fourth-largest Customs district, in terms of the dollar value of its imports and exports.
According to the government statistics released Thursday, Houston has accounted for 23.5 percent of all oil imports into the United States in 2008, followed by New Orleans at 19.1 percent and Philadelphia at 10.4 percent.
According to those same statistics, which are through July, New York accounts for 24.2 percent of all refined petroleum followed by Houston at 17.3 percent, New Orleans at 9.1 percent and Boston at 7.5 percent. Its imports are up sharply in 2008, as are New York’s.
The biggest percentage increase year over year is Mobile, Ala., also on the Gulf Coast, which became one of a record 13 Customs districts to record more than $1 billion in imports through the first seven months of 2008.
The nation’s biggest suppliers of refined petroleum are Canada, Russia and Venezuela.
Although Houston’s market share of refined petroleum imports is above 17 percent through July of this year, on an annualized basis, it was at 15.2 percent in 2007, the third-lowest percentage over the previous 15 years. From 1992 to 2000, Houston routinely captured more than 20 percent market share.
Refined petroleum is the nation’s third-leading import behind oil and cars.
Nevertheless, with questions about the impact of Hurricane Ike on Houston-area refineries, prices at the gas pump increased over the weekend in many areas of the nation, with some stations even running out.
| Rank Change | 2008 Rank | Refined Petroleum Imports | July 2008 YTD | July 2007 YTD | Dollar Change | Percent Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Districts | $56,135,472,852 | $42,180,258,285 | $13,955,214,567 | 33.08% | ||
| 0 | 1 | New York City | $13,580,539,561 | $9,104,418,178 | $4,476,121,383 | 49.16% |
| 0 | 2 | Houston | $9,683,570,221 | $6,090,066,202 | $3,593,504,019 | 59.01% |
| 1 | 3 | New Orleans | $5,130,907,333 | $3,836,304,754 | $1,294,602,579 | 33.75% |
| 1 | 4 | Boston | $4,191,658,206 | $3,176,676,193 | $1,014,982,013 | 31.95% |
| 1 | 5 | Miami | $2,738,669,605 | $2,316,139,001 | $422,530,604 | 18.24% |
| 2 | 6 | Portland, Maine | $2,115,757,044 | $1,547,095,028 | $568,662,016 | 36.76% |
| 4 | 7 | Philadelphia | $2,115,396,827 | $1,275,668,358 | $839,728,469 | 65.83% |
| -5 | 8 | Los Angeles | $2,101,838,152 | $3,947,684,150 | $(1,845,845,998) | -46.76% |
| -2 | 9 | Tampa/Jacksonville | $1,906,981,535 | $1,633,633,425 | $273,348,110 | 16.73% |
| 0 | 10 | San Juan, P.R. | $1,886,064,644 | $1,413,447,636 | $472,617,008 | 33.44% |
| 1 | 11 | Port Arthur, Texas | $1,450,551,171 | $1,157,727,967 | $292,823,204 | 25.29% |
| 1 | 12 | Providence, R.I. | $1,420,917,830 | $788,852,274 | $632,065,556 | 80.12% |
| 17 | 13 | Mobile, Ala. | $1,041,451,923 | $79,064,767 | $962,387,156 | 1217.21% |
| -5 | 14 | San Francisco | $831,236,606 | $1,440,467,657 | $(609,231,051) | -42.29% |
| -1 | 15 | Savannah/Atlanta | $824,440,881 | $694,314,661 | $130,126,220 | 18.74% |
| 1 | 16 | Laredo, Texas | $798,627,116 | $346,293,991 | $452,333,125 | 130.62% |
| -2 | 17 | Charleston | $566,074,612 | $423,626,827 | $142,447,785 | 33.63% |
| 7 | 18 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $474,406,134 | $163,343,187 | $311,062,947 | 190.44% |
| -3 | 19 | Detroit | $464,509,696 | $357,621,236 | $106,888,460 | 29.89% |
| -2 | 20 | Baltimore | $431,269,858 | $275,377,739 | $155,892,119 | 56.61% |
| -2 | 21 | Honolulu | $381,870,578 | $263,272,137 | $118,598,441 | 45.05% |
| 4 | 22 | Ogdensburg, N.Y. | $293,581,090 | $162,839,347 | $130,741,743 | 80.29% |
| 4 | 23 | St Albans, Vert. | $261,178,077 | $161,933,755 | $99,244,322 | 61.29% |
| -1 | 24 | Great Falls, Mont. | $232,903,486 | $204,198,674 | $28,704,812 | 14.06% |
| 3 | 25 | Buffalo | $217,650,434 | $157,139,245 | $60,511,189 | 38.51% |
| -4 | 26 | Anchorage | $197,317,843 | $205,177,237 | $(7,859,394) | -3.83% |
| -3 | 27 | Wilmington, N.C. | $186,215,216 | $198,541,839 | ||
| -7 | 28 | Columbia-Snake River | $154,762,042 | $222,970,269 | $(68,208,227) | -30.59% |
| 2 | 29 | Pembina, N.D. | $114,442,566 | $74,885,467 | $39,557,099 | 52.82% |
| -10 | 30 | Seattle | $107,859,752 | $227,255,147 | $(119,395,395) | -52.54% |
| -2 | 31 | Norfolk, Va. | $94,948,677 | $119,752,546 | $(24,803,869) | -20.71% |
| 0 | 32 | Duluth, Minn. | $53,904,149 | $48,751,706 | $5,152,443 | 10.57% |
| 0 | 33 | Cleveland | $47,432,932 | $31,701,596 | $15,731,336 | 49.62% |
| 1 | 34 | Milwaukee | $17,588,712 | $8,712,239 | $8,876,473 | 101.89% |
| -1 | 35 | Chicago | $16,466,121 | $23,316,499 | $(6,850,378) | -29.38% |
| 2 | 36 | Dallas | $981,355 | $272,438 | $708,917 | 260.21% |
| -1 | 37 | Nogales, Ariz. | $477,940 | $851,090 | $(373,150) | -43.84% |
| 2 | 38 | Minneapolis | $313,050 | $234,254 | $78,796 | 33.64% |
| 2 | 39 | Washington, D.C. | $259,233 | $50,071 | ||
| -1 | 40 | St Louis | $229,696 | $267,384 | $(37,688) | -14.10% |
| -4 | 41 | El Paso, Texas | $138,295 | $312,114 | $(173,819) | -55.69% |
| 0 | 42 | San Diego | $82,653 | $82,653 | #DIV/0! |
Annual Statistics: Houston moves up to No. 4 ranked Customs district (02/13/2007)
Houston likely to be No. 4 Customs district for 2006 (01/25/2007)
Houston exports see notable increase in third quarter (12/11/2006)
Semi-annual report: Houston growth at faster clip than most (09/08/2006)
Here comes China! Imports rise 85%, catapault it to No. 3 overall (07/07/2006)
Annual Report: No. 21 Angola- Mutual benefits (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 20 Japan- Houston woos and wins Japan (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: N0. 19 Norway- Symbiotic relationship (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 18 Kuwait- Embracing Mideast opportunities (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 2 Venezuela - Beyond the politicians (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 17 Italy- From leather to nuts (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 16 France- Outpaced by oil-rich nations (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 3 Nigeria - Oil lubricates market (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 15 Colombia- Coffee perks up trade (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 14 Belgium- Scoring with petrochemicals (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No.13 Russia- Imports, exports, up double digits (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 4 China - Trade skyrockets (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 12 South Korea- Fine-tuning a trade balance (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 11 Iraq- Rebuilding Iraq thanks to oil (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 5 United Kingdom - Setting a fast pace in trade (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 10 Algeria- Algeria ties its fortunes to oil (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 6 Germany - Cars add to spark-fired trade (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 9 The Netherlands- Getting a line to Europe (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 7 Saudi Arabia (07/06/2006)
Annual Report: No. 8 Brazil- New U.S. gateway for Brazil (06/14/2006)
1Q: China, Algeria, Colombia lead way as trade increases 14% (06/02/2006)
Houston's trade surges
No surprise - it's all about the price of oil (01/01/2006)