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Around 300 of the more than 800 overstaying rice shipments at Manila ports were withdrawn over the weekend
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Philippine Ports Authority general manager Jay Daniel Santiago gave consignees until end of September to pull out their rice shipments
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The overstaying containers will otherwise be endorsed to the Bureau of Customs for appropriate action
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The Department of Agriculture earlier asked PPA to fast-track release of the overstaying containers to help “increase supply for this essential food staple and potentially lower retail prices”
Around 300 of the more than 800 containers of overstaying rice shipments at Manila ports have been withdrawn over the weekend, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) general manager Jay Daniel Santiago said in a Malacañang press briefing on September 23.
The pullout follows PPA’s briefing on September 19 that revealed 888 containers of rice cleared by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) remained inside Manila ports as of September 18. Of the total, more than 500 containers were at the Manila International Container Terminal and 21 containers at Manila South Harbor.
READ: PPA eyes additional penalties for overstaying rice shipments
The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier appealed to PPA to fast-track the release of the more than 800 containers to help “increase supply for this essential food staple and potentially lower retail prices.”
Santiago gave consignees until end of September to pull out their containers. If they remained unclaimed for more than 30 days, the PPA chief said they will endorse the containers to BOC for appropriate action.
Per the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), importers must claim their shipments within 30 days after payment or the goods will be declared abandoned, triggering abandonment proceedings by the BOC.
“…we look forward na sa mga darating pa pong mga araw, hanggang katapusan po ng buwang ito ay tuluyan pa pong mababawasan ‘yung mga overstaying containers natin diyan na naglalaman ng bigas (that in the next few days, until end of the month, more overstaying containers with rice will be withdrawn),” Santiago said in the Malacañang briefing.
Santiago said PPA and DA agreed to intensify monitoring of not only rice shipments but other prime commodities as well to check for delays in pullout from ports.
The PPA chief earlier said that starting October 1, PPA will publish a monthly list of overstaying containers and consignees with rice imports to enhance transparency in port operations and to encourage importers to withdraw their shipments promptly.
Santiago said PPA was likewise considering imposing additional penalties or doubling port storage fees for rice shipments to compel consignees to withdraw their cargo on time.
Port congestion not to blame
In a separate statement over the weekend, the BOC clarified that overstaying rice shipments at Manila ports is not due to port congestion but to consignees’ pending actions for release of their shipments.
At the Port of Manila, 258 containers of rice were still in the yard, with 237 containers already cleared for release following the payment of duties and taxes. Meanwhile, 21 containers, or 8.13% of the total, have goods declarations lodged as recently as September 20, 2024, and are still in the process of being cleared.
At the Manila International Container Port, a similar situation was observed, with 630 containers still in the yard. Of these, 492 have been cleared for release, while 138 containers were awaiting payment of duties and taxes.
BOC emphasized that none of the shipments have breached the 30-day period stipulated under Section 1129 (d) of the CMTA.
“BOC is continuously monitoring the situation and assures the public that the necessary processes are being followed,” the agency said in a statement.
Customs commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said, “The Bureau of Customs remains committed to ensuring that the release of rice shipments follows the legal procedures without unnecessary delays. We urge consignees to act promptly to avoid further disruptions.”
