It’s no surprise that Metro Manila’s ports are getting congested.
“The Bureau of Customs (BOC) said on Monday, August 4, that at least 75,000 shipping containers have yet to be claimed at the Manila International Container Port and the Port of Manila,” reports Evelyn Macairan in The Philippine Star.
According to BOC commissioner John Sevilla, the said containers “have been cleared for release by the BOC but they have not been picked up by the trucking companies hired by the importers.”
Sevilla pointed out another reason for the congestion at the two ports: empty shipping containers.
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said that “international carriers have started sending sweepers to take their empty containers from the two ports.”
The report explained: “Sweepers are vessels sent by international carriers for a specific purpose—in this case it is to remove empty containers at the ports of Manila to a specific destination—at the expense of the shipping lines.”
In this case, they hope to remove most of the empty containers by August 15.
Photo from MorgueFile
