ICTSI port utilization rate improves in April
Billionaire Enrique Razon Jr.’s International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) saw a significant improvement in yard utilization at its facility in Manila following a state-led crackdown on overstaying cargo.
In a statement on Monday, ICTSI said yard utilization at the Manila International Container Terminal dropped to 70 percent in April from a high of 90 percent in January.
“The terminal was able to accept almost double the number of empty containers it was receiving, freeing up trucks in the process which, in turn, resulted in more import pullouts. Shipping lines have now been able to bridge the gap in achieving their weekly empty container evacuation targets,” ICTSI said.
The crackdown was led by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), the Department of Transportation, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Bureau of Customs (BOC), and the port operators.
The stakeholders signed a document of support on March 15 that paved the way for the immediate shifting of overstaying and empty cargo to designated ports and off-dock depots.
A joint administrative order will soon be issued by the trade department, the BOC and PPA to address concerns on unreturned empties and overstaying imports, ICTSI noted.
Import dwell time has likewise been reduced from 11 days in January to 6.6 days at the start of April. This has resulted in zero ship queues compared to December’s peak season.
“We thank the Philippine government for taking a hard stand in fast-tracking the disposal and reduction of overstaying and empty containers at Manila ports,” Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI Global Corporate head, said in a statement on Monday.
ICTSI said overstaying containers had also been moved to its Laguna Gateway Inland Container Terminal in Calamba.
