IAH ranks 19th nationally for total cargo tonnage and fourth for total flights (all planes)
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George Bush
Port of Entry
George Bush
Intercontinental
Airport (IAH)
Ports of entry within the state of Texas accounted for nearly $740 billion in international trade in 2018. Texas has 29 official ports of entry that serve as critical gateways to global trade. Each port, whether an airport, land port or seaport, serves many domestic and international economic activities across multiple industries. Each Texas port plays a distinctive role in the state’s transportation network and contributes to the state and local economies.
Glenn Hegar
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
IAH’s contributions to the Texas economy include:
Total trade (2018) $14.1 Billion
Direct and indirect employment 42,000
gross domestic product $6.3 Billion
Sources: REMI, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
About The George Bush Intercontinental Airport
Located north of Houston, IAH transports more than just travelers: cargo moves through the facility in impressive quantities.
IAH is part of the Houston-Galveston Customs District, which includes the Sugar Land Regional Airport, the Port of Houston, the Port of Texas City, the Port of Galveston, the Port of Freeport, the Port of Port Lavaca and the Port of Corpus Christi.
George Bush Intercontinental Airport: All Trade 2003 to 2018
| Year | Total Trade through IAH (in billions) | Percentage of Total Trade through Seaports |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 7.2 billion dollars | 22% |
| 2004 | 7.8 billion dollars | 19% |
| 2005 | 9.5 billion dollars | 20% |
| 2006 | 11.4 billion dollars | 20% |
| 2007 | 12.8 billion dollars | 22% |
| 2008 | 13.8 billion dollars | 23% |
| 2009 | 12.9 billion dollars | 25% |
| 2010 | 16.4 billion dollars | 27% |
| 2011 | 20.4 billion dollars | 30% |
| 2012 | 18.5 billion dollars | 27% |
| 2013 | 17.2 billion dollars | 25% |
| 2014 | 18.8 billion dollars | 25% |
| 2015 | 15.3 billion dollars | 21% |
| 2016 | 14.4 billion dollars | 21% |
| 2017 | 14.0 billion dollars | 20% |
| 2018 | 14.1 billion dollars | 20% |
Shipping activity through this airport accounted for $14.1 Billion in trade in 2018, 96 percent more than in 2003 ($7.2 billion).
This airport’s trade, as a percentage of the total through Texas cargo airports, has fluctuated from as low as 19 percent in 2004 to as high as 29.7 percent in 2011.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: USA Trade Online
George Bush Intercontinental Airport: Trade with with Top Trading Partners, 2014 to 2018
Imports Exports
| Year | Trade | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $5.2 | $2.6 | $2.6 |
| 2017 | $5.7 | $2.8 | $2.9 |
| 2016 | $5.7 | $2.9 | $2.8 |
| 2015 | $5.8 | $2.8 | $3.0 |
| 2014 | $6.1 | $2.8 | $3.3 |
IAH’s top two trading partners account for 37 percent of all trade traversing the port. Its top trading partner, Germany, represents 11 percent of the port’s total trade, while the second-, third- and fourth-largest (the Netherlands, China and the United Kingdom) account for 8.8, 8.7 and 8.4 percent, respectively.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau: USA Trade Online
| George Bush Intercontinental Airport | |||
| Top Imports: | Electronics, Machinery | ||
| Top Exports: | Electronics, Machinery | ||
| Top Trading Partners: | China, South Korea, Vietnam | ||
IAH is one of 29 official Texas Ports of Entry. See a select list of ports, plus more in-depth regional data.
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the material on this page, please contact the Comptroller’s Data Analysis and Transparency Division.