Shipping lines are bracing for another post-holiday cargo squeeze, warning that familiar bottlenecks at major gateways underscore the need for long-term port reforms rather than seasonal stopgaps.
Patrick Ronas, president of The Association of International Shipping Lines Inc. (AISL), said cargo flows were compressed into tighter windows during the extended Christmas-to-Chinese New Year stretch, as factory shutdowns and shifting sailing schedules disrupted normal rhythms.
“The run-up to the New Year, with many holidays clustered together, created bunching of shipments. That put pressure on vessel space, terminals and storage,” Ronas said on the sidelines of a logistics event in Makati City on February 11.
In some cases, vessel and yard utilization rates exceeded 100 percent, making cargo acceptance more difficult before and immediately after the holidays. Ronas expects conditions to ease following Chinese New Year as production and shipping cycles normalize.
Still, he cautioned that the latest congestion mirrors the structural strains seen in 2018 and 2019, when yard saturation and limited port capacity slowed cargo movement. “These are recurring structural issues. We need long-term solutions to manage cargo flow and storage, not just seasonal fixes,” he said.
AISL is pushing for a more balanced use of Luzon gateways, urging shippers to divert more cargo to Subic and Batangas to decongest Manila. Emerging options such as Mariveles are also being eyed for additional volumes, while the planned Bauan, La Union terminal—targeted to open by 2028—is expected to add much-needed capacity.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Customs–Manila International Container Port on February 4 convened shipping lines and terminal operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc. to streamline cargo movement and address compliance and clearance issues.
District Collector Atty. Felipe Geoffrey K. De Vera IV reaffirmed the port’s commitment to faster, more transparent processing, as industry players flagged logistical constraints and called for tighter coordination to keep trade moving.
