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Port users fear higher logistics costs due to high yard utilization levels at Manila container terminals and empty depots
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“There is a serious lack of truck supply in the supply chain at the moment,” said International Container Terminal Services, Inc
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The Philippines’ biggest port operator noted the “unfortunate timing of holidays” have led to “very limited withdrawal of import containers”
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The situation has resulted in trucks being stuck with empty containers that cannot be returned to depots that are full
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Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association, Inc. president Erich Lingad described the port congestion as somewhat “alarming”, noting government should take the lead in addressing concern
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Container yards in Metro Manila operated by members of the Alliance of Container Yard Operators of the Philippines are 85% to 90% full, while members’ yards in Bulacan and Valenzuela are still at around 45-50%
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Space at cold storage facilities of Cold Chain Association of the Philippines members remains adequate
Port users fear high logistics costs due to high yard utilization levels at Manila container terminals and empty depots.
According to a Bureau of Customs (BOC) social media post, the Manila International Container Terminal’s (MICT) yard utilization rate for reefers was at 105.98% and overall utilization at 81.99% as of 7am of February 2. For Manila South Harbor (MSH), the overall utilization was 89.02%; reefers, 64.14%; and bulk and breakbulk, 52.30%.
In January and most of December 2025, MICT’s yard utilization was beyond 80% with high reefer utilization. For MSH, January utilization rates ranged from 70% to 80% from 60% to 70% in December 2025.
International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) in an email to PortCalls said “there was very limited withdrawal of import containers because of the unfortunate timing of holidays” from December 19, 2025 to January 11, 2026.
The operator of MICT, the country’s largest, explained that “… truck capacity is required to pull containers out but all trucks are occupied by empties as depots are full and there is limited demand for empties in China due to Chinese New Year.” Chinese New (February 17 this year) disrupts supply chains in China and some parts of Southeast Asia with factories and offices often closing for 10–14 days.
At the moment, “There is a serious lack of truck supply in the supply chain,” ICTSI said.
MICT yard utilization as of January 30 for reefers was 88%, but has gone up “driven by very high reefer volumes over the weekend,” the operator said.
The lack of trucks was also identified as a key concern by a PortCalls industry source mainly due to the circumstances cited by ICTSI. At the same time, the source said trucking rates are high for depots outside Metro Manila.
Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines, Inc. president Maria Zapata confirmed seeing delays in return of empty containers since November last year, with the situation persisting to this day.
Asian Terminals Inc. assistant vice president for Strategic Communications, Stakeholders & Public Affairs Dominador Antonio Bustamante, in a Viber message to PortCalls, said it’s business as usual at MSH but acknowledged the recent spike in yard utilization is due to seasonal cargo upswing.
“We are actively reminding consignees to pick up cargoes as soon as cleared by port authorities to avoid any inconvenience to sustain healthy transactions at MSH,” Bustamante said.
He said ATI is working closely with shipping line partners, and continuously implementing the Empty Loadout Shipping Alliance (ELSA), an initiative that began in 2019 that allows partner shipping lines to share vessel resources. The measure enables lines to immediately evacuate empty containers from MSH regardless of which shipping line owned the container.
Government intervention
Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association, Inc. (PMTLAI) president Erich Lingad, described the congestion as somewhat “alarming”. In an interview with PortCalls, he said he was worried about higher costs, including potential wastage in perishable shipments.
Lingad said PMTLAI is ready to work with other stakeholders to fix the problem but noted the association “can only do so much”. Government, he said, “should take the lead considering the supply chain involves various government and private sector players.”
The Practicing Customs Brokers Association of the Philippines, Inc. (PCBAPI) also called for government intervention, particularly BOC’s.
In a letter to BOC-Manila International Container Port district collector Felipe Geoffrey De Vera dated January 18, PCBAPI said there is a backlog in the pull out of import containers from MICT as well as delays in return of empty containers. It blamed the problem on shipping lines not providing adequate empty depots, and BOC’s “lack of interest” in pushing to control and supervise the transport of imported goods and port facilities.
BOC last week called a port congestion meeting with stakeholders. No statement has been released on results of the meeting. BOC Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group deputy commissioner Atty Agaton Uvero told PortCalls more discussions are forthcoming.
High volumes
Philippine Ports Authority general manager Jay Daniel Santiago, in a Viber message to PortCalls, said high volumes contributed to the high yard utilization. He noted that even though utilization is elevated, throughput handled by Manila terminals was also high, citing in particular MICT setting a record 3 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2025.
“It shows that the Manila terminals are getting more efficient in handling cargoes,” Santiago explained.
READ: MICT handles highest annual container volume at 3M TEUs
Ports under PPA jurisdiction saw cargo volumes grow by 6.6% in 2025 to 308.5 million metric tons from 289.4 million mt in 2024. Container throughput rose to more than eight million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2025, 2% more than 7.842 million TEUs year-on-year.
READ: PPA’s new free storage policy requires earlier payment of storage charges
Alliance of Container Yard Operators of the Philippines, Inc. (ACYOP) director Nestor Materiales told PortCalls that utilization at their members’ container yards in Metro Manila is between 85% and 90%, while members’ yards in Bulacan and Valenzuela are still at 45%-50%. He said there have been repositioning of empty containers during the weekends and forecasts that utilization will improve after the Chinese New Year.
It must be noted that not all container yards are members of ACYOP.
Meanwhile, Cold Chain Association of the Philippines, Inc. president Anthony Dizon, in a Viber message to PortCalls, said there is enough space in their members’ cold storage facilities.
The Association of International Shipping Lines told PortCalls it will issue a statement at a later time to provide more details on the issue.
