ICTSI’s Subic facility links PH traders to southern China, Vietnam markets

MANILA  -Exporters and other enterprises are now provided more options to ship their goods across Asia with the route expansion of the International Container Terminal Services Inc.’s (ICTSI) Subic facility.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Razon-led port operator said that Subic Bay International Terminals (SBITC) made its inaugural call last month for a route linking the country to southern China and Vietnam.

The South China Vietnam Philippines (SVP) service is seen catering to growing trade requirements following the reopening of the economy. ICTSI noted this raised the need for more routes ferrying agriculture and manufacturing exports.

The SVP feeder service route is as follows: Shekou – Nansha – Xiamen – Manila North – Subic – Xiamen – Shekou – Nansha – Ho Chi Minh – Shekou.

“The service offers a good opportunity to Northern and Central Luzon traders, who can leverage the increased connectivity to markets in Vietnam and China,” SBITC terminal manager Henry Dungca said.

The latest move is just among the listed company’s recent initiatives to beef up operations. In May, ICTSI held a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of Manila International Container Terminal’s (MICT) eighth berth.

This berth, which is designed to bring an additional annual capacity of 200,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), will be constructed in phases.

Once completed, MICT will become the country’s biggest international port as its annual capacity will rise to 3.5 million TEUs.

Berth 8, along with the purchase of another quay crane, costs about P15 billion.