admin | 21 October 2026

Ports & Logistics / Import & Export

Manila’s present port congestion is not simply a matter of containers staying too long inside a terminal. It is a network imbalance: more boxes are entering parts of the Luzon gateway system than are leaving, while empty-container returns, vessel load-outs, truck access and consignee withdrawals compete for limited space. For importers, the commercial consequence is immediate. A shipment may already be customs-cleared yet still face an uncertain terminal exit, a missed delivery window or additional equipment and storage exposure.

At an industry meeting on 19 October, a Bureau of Customs official said the congestion could take months to clear. Data reported for January through 18 October show why the problem is uneven rather than uniform. The Manila International Container Port handled about 1.36 million TEUs of imports against roughly one million TEUs of exports, an export-to-import ratio of 74 percent. The Port of Manila, by contrast, recorded 531,831 import TEUs and 674,054 export TEUs, a ratio of 127 percent. Across the two Manila ports and Batangas, the reported imbalance was approximately 208,000 more inbound than outbound TEUs. Those figures describe a circulation problem, not a legal suspension of importation.

The practical distinction between customs release and physical cargo movement therefore matters. Release by the Bureau resolves the customs hold, but it does not guarantee an available terminal appointment, truck slot, empty-return location or receiving schedule at the consignee’s premises. Current MICP notices continue to call on consignees to file goods declarations, pay duties and taxes and claim recently discharged cargo. These notices are reminders that documentation delay can compound an operational bottleneck: cargo that is not promptly entered and claimed occupies capacity while statutory abandonment periods continue to run.

Importers should consequently manage the shipment as two connected clocks. The first is the customs clock—advance documents, classification, permits, valuation support, goods declaration, payment and release. The second is the logistics clock—terminal availability, delivery order, truck appointment, warehouse readiness, unloading and empty return. A clean customs file cannot cure a missed empty-return booking, while an available truck cannot move cargo that remains under customs hold. Both workstreams should be visible to the importer before vessel arrival, with named owners and an escalation route for exceptions.

A draft joint administrative order circulated by government agencies would introduce more detailed rules on container yards, empty returns, monitoring and shipping-line charges. Among other provisions, it contemplates clearly identified return destinations in delivery orders, automated visibility of container movement and rules addressing detention when a shipping line fails to provide a return location within specified periods. As of 20 October, however, the order was still reported as pending signature. Its draft provisions should inform contingency planning, but they should not be presented as presently enforceable rights until the final signed and published text is confirmed.

Commercial contracts deserve the same attention as government rules. Free-time periods, demurrage, detention, container deposits, terminal storage and trucking standby arise from different relationships and may start at different events. An importer disputing a charge should preserve the delivery order, gate passes, equipment interchange receipts, booking attempts, screenshots, emails and timestamps showing when a return was requested and what response was received. A general assertion that “the port was congested” is weaker than a container-specific chronology demonstrating that performance was attempted within the applicable free period.

Route selection is also becoming a procurement decision rather than a last-minute operations choice. Subic or Batangas may relieve pressure for suitable cargo, but the apparent port saving must be tested against vessel service, inland distance, tolls, truck availability, warehouse location, permit coverage and the consignee’s delivery commitments. Diversion is not automatically cheaper. The correct comparison is the expected landed-and-delivered cost under realistic delay scenarios, including the cost of working capital tied up in cargo and the contractual consequences of late supply.

The disciplined response is not to promise a congestion-free shipment; it is to remove avoidable delay from the importer’s own side. Documents should be complete before arrival, permits validated against the precise goods, funds for duties and taxes ready, and truck and warehouse arrangements coordinated with the expected release window. Aljex de Prim supports import documentation and clearance coordination through its partner independent customs broker, while the importer retains responsibility for timely commercial decisions. In a congested network, readiness does not eliminate every disruption, but it preserves options when terminal conditions change.

Sources