AsiaPorts and Logistics

Manila seeks to fix empty container congestion issue

A familiar problem has hit the port of Manila again; congestion brought around by too many empty containers lying around the cramped facilities in the Philippine capital.

Asian Terminals Inc (ATI), one of two port operators at the port, has tapped six liners to help alleviate the crunch at Manila South Harbor. ATI has said it is working with CMA CGM, TS Lines, Evergreen, Yang Ming and HMM to take more than 10,000 empty containers from the port for recirculation to Asian destinations in the coming weeks.

Congestion at the country’s top port has been a regular problem. On January 23 this year, Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd announced it was stopping taking all reefer cargo to Manila, for both North and South Harbor.

“The decision is made due to terminal congestions at Manila port as well as limited trucking capacity,” Hapag-Lloyd stated in a notice to clients.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.
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