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Port users are raising the alarm over the high utilization levels at Manila international terminals and empty depots, which threaten to push logistics costs up
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Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association, Inc. described the current situation as “alarming” and that government should take the lead in addressing concerns
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Port operator ICTSI said the unfortunate timing of holidays resulted in very limited withdrawal of import containers, which then resulted to trucks being occupied with empties as depots are full
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Alliance of Container Yard Operators of the Philippines, Inc. said utilization at their members’ container yards in Metro Manila average 85-90%, while members’ yards in Bulacan and Valenzuela are still at around 45-50%
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Cold Chain Association of the Philippines, Inc. said there is still space in their members’ cold storage facilities
Port users are raising the alarm over the high utilization levels at Manila international terminals and empty depots, which threaten to push logistics costs up.
According to the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) update on the morning of February 2, Manila International Container Terminal’s (MICT) overall utilization was at 81.99% while reefer utilization was at 105.98%. For Manila South Harbor (MSH), overall utilization was at 89.02%, reefers at 64.14%, and bulk and breakbulk at 52.30%.
Based on BOC information, MICT’s yard utilization was over 80% in January and most of December 2025, with high reefer utilization. For MSH, January utilization rates ranged around 70-80%, and between 60-70% in December 2025.
According to an industry source, customs brokers’ and truckers’ main concern is that there are no trucks because they are holding empty containers that could not be returned as empty depots are full. At the same time, there are customs-cleared cargoes that are not pulled out due to unavailability of trucks or high trucking rate if the depot is outside Metro Manila.
Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines, Inc. president Maria Zapata said they have been experiencing delays in the return of empty containers since November last year, with the situation persisting still to this day.
Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association, Inc. (PMTLAI) president Erich Lingad, in a message to PortCalls, described the current situation as “alarming”.
He is worried about higher costs, including wastage in perishable shipments, with reefer capacity beyond 100% at MICT.
Lingad said PMTLAI is ready to work with other stakeholders to fix the problem but noted it “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.
PCBAPI, in a letter to BOC-Manila International Container Port district collector Felipe Geoffrey De Vera dated January 18, said there is a backlog in the pull out of import containers from MICT as well as delays in the return of empty containers. PCBAPI said the problem is due to 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 for a meeting with stakeholders regarding the issue.
Asked if BOC and stakeholders were able to come up with measures to address the issue, Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group deputy commissioner Agaton Uvero said there will still be more discussions.
In an email to PortCalls, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) explained that from December 19, 2025 to January 11, 2026, “there was very limited withdrawal of import containers because of the unfortunate timing of holidays.”
“As a result, 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. There is a serious lack of truck supply in the supply chain at the moment,” ICTSI said.
Utilization as of January 30 for reefers was 88%, but currently went higher “driven by very high reefer volumes over the weekend.”
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 noted that 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 also working closely with shipping line partners and has continuously implemented the Empty Loadout Shipping Alliance (ELSA), an initiative that started in 2019 that allows partner shipping lines to share vessel resources, enabling them to immediately evacuate empty containers from Manila South Harbor regardless of which shipping line owned the container.
Philippine Ports Authority general manager Jay Daniel Santiago, in a Viber message to PortCalls, also said high volumes contributed to high utilization. He noted that even though utilization is high, throughput handled by Manila terminals were also high, citing that MICT in particular set a record 3 million twenty-foot equivalent units in 2025.
“It shows that the Manila terminals are getting more efficient in handling cargoes,” Santiago stated.
READ: MICT handles highest annual container volume at 3M TEUs
Moreover, Santiago said the “real issue here is people don’t pull out their boxes during holidays”, noting that ports are open 24/7. He said there are cargo owners that still delay withdrawing their boxes even when PPA last year changed their free storage period policy, effectively requiring payment of storage charges sooner.
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 average 85-90%, while members’ yards in Bulacan and Valenzuela are still at around 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.
There are container yards that are not members of ACYOP.
Meanwhile, Cold Chain Association of the Philippines, Inc. president Anthony Dizon, in a Viber message to PortCalls, said there is still 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.
