Manila congestion lifts Batangas port

The Batangas Container Terminal (BCT) sustained its growth pace into 2015 with its January volume surging by 1,200 percent year-on-year as it benefited from heavy congestion in the nearby Manila ports, operator Asian Terminals Inc. said.

BCT, which also recorded a 762-percent volume surge last year at the height of the Manila port congestion situation, handled more than 12,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in January 2015 as it continued to expand its role as a comprehensive port alternative for the region.

BCT’s volume is expected to further pick up steam, especially as Asian Terminals recently completed the dredging of the Batangas Port’s entrance channel, further deepening the turn basin to 13 meters, the company said in a statement.

This gives carriers the capability to maximize their loadings and gives maximum port rotation flexibility when planning new market connections for Batangas.

The major contributor to BCT’s volume is leading intra-Asia carrier MCC Transport (MCC), which regularly deploys two weekly services via Batangas.

MCC’s Philippine Feeder 6 (PH6) service offers faster connectivity between Batangas, Hong Kong and Yantian (in Guangdong, China) and cuts transit time by more than half for Batangas imports from North Asia via Hong Kong transshipment.

Meanwhile, MCC’s Intra-Asia 9 (IA9) service offers direct export connectivity to Hong Kong and Yantian, as well as export transshipment to major Japan ports via Hong Kong. IA9 also facilitates direct and faster imports from Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia and Singapore to Batangas.

Asian Terminals noted that it was confident of sustaining BCT’s volume growth this year through its productive partnership with international carriers, support from the Philippine Export Zone Authority, the Bureau of Customs and the Philippine Ports Authority, and the growing patronage of Calabarzon shippers now benefiting from BCT’s competitive port services.