A proposal to move empty containers off-dock could relieve pressure at the Manila International Container Port, with the United Port Users Confederation of the Philippines urging the Bureau of Customs to redirect haulers to private depots.
UPC President Ma. Flordeliza C. Leong called on Customs to order the immediate pullout of empties to large facilities outside the port, citing the EMME Depot Hub in Binakayan, Kawit, Cavite, which can handle up to 5,000 twenty-foot equivalent units. Shipping lines, she said, should shoulder the cost. The arrangement could be temporary or permanent, providing relief to brokers and truckers burdened by unreturned boxes.
The proposal comes as UPC warned of elevated risks from congestion in MICP’s reefer yard. In a letter to Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepumoceno, Leong said reefer utilization has climbed to 105.98 percent, surpassing design limits, even as overall yard use stood at 81.99 percent based on the bureau’s February 2 report.
Operating beyond capacity, Leong cautioned, strains electrical and spatial systems supporting temperature-controlled cargo, raising the odds of power fluctuations, reduced monitoring, and compromised integrity of imported food and medicines.
She added that a saturated reefer area can trigger double-handling, slow truck turnaround, and lift logistics costs, with congestion threatening to spill into general cargo operations.
UPC urged Customs to fast-track reefer clearances, review overstaying units, clarify contingency plans for excess volumes, and strictly implement Customs Memorandum Order No. 13-2019 governing the return of empty containers.
Industry groups say off-dock returns could free quay space, improve safety, and stabilize schedules, while aligning incentives across terminals, shipping lines, and haulers.
Customs action, they argue, would send a strong signal ahead of peak import months as congestion risks remain elevated nationwide today levels.
