Texas exports rose 2.7 percent in real terms in the first six months of the year, fueled by a nascent economic recovery that surprised some shipping companies. Increased demand in the state and nation contributed to spikes in the cost of container, truck and rail freight shipments.

The real value of trade processed through Texas ports grew at nearly twice the national pace. Rapid growth in trade with Asia implies that containerized shipping--the movement of goods by standardized intermodal cargo containers--will play an increasingly prominent role. ; As container shipments...