04/02/2026
February 2, 2026 | ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐ก๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐ก๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง; ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ.
Port users fear higher 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 Terminalโs (MICT) yard utilization rate for re**ers was at 105.98% and overall utilization at 81.99% as of 7 a.m. of February 2. For Manila South Harbor (MSH), the overall utilization was 89.02%; re**ers, 64.14%; and bulk and breakbulk, 52.30%.
In January and most of December 2025, MICTโs yard utilization was beyond 80% with high re**er utilization. For MSH, January utilization rates ranged from 70% to 80% from 60% to 70% in December 2025.
Several conditions conspired to bring forth congestion, according to PortCalls industry sources: high cargo volume from December to pre-Chinese New Year; limited withdrawal of import containers during the holidays; and, lack of trucks to return empty containers to depots (depots are full) and also pull out laden containers in terminals.
International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), in an email to PortCalls, said, โthere was very limited withdrawal of import containers because of the unfortunate timing of holidaysโ from December 19, 2025 to January 11, 2026.
ICTSI, the countryโs largest port operator and handles MICT, explained that โโฆ 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.โ Chinese New (February 17 this year) disrupts supply chains in China and some parts of Southeast Asia with factories and offices often closing for 10โ14 days.
At the moment, โThere is a serious lack of truck supply in the supply chain,โ ICTSI said.
MICT yard utilization as of January 30 for re**ers was 88%, but has gone up โdriven by very high re**er volumes over the weekend,โ 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.
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฌ, ๐๐ง๐. president๐จ๐๐๐. ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, in a statement, said chamber members and the logistics community โare grappling with a severe truck deadlock caused by the limited capacity of empty container yards, which prevents the timely return of empties and, in turn, stalls the withdrawal of laden containers from terminals.โ
He noted โthis paralysis is exacerbated by trucks remaining tied up with empty containers because ports and carriers have limited space to accept them.โ
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. (ATI) assistant vice president for Strategic Communications, Stakeholders & Public Affairs Dominador Antonio Bustamante, in a Viber message to PortCalls, said itโs business as usual at MSH but acknowledged the recent spike in yard utilization is due to seasonal cargo upswing.
โWe 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,โ Bustamante said.
He added that 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.
Source: PortCalls
fans
https://portcalls.com/port-stakeholders-fear-higher-logistics-costs-due-to-congestion-trucks-in-short-supply/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAPuxo9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe4KLnVHKrFZISJ7CyfnT8XGeoUCtFL6m0espxyktLwSyJYrnWbhyZEP0m5tY_aem_erO2a5-SU1iVrbhGuxElMA
Port users are raising the alarm over the high utilization levels at Manila international terminals and empty depots, truck shortage
