THANKS to the removal of the overstaying import containers from the Port of Manila, yard utilization rate at the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) is tracking close to historic lows.
Christian Gonzalez, who sits as the global corporate head at the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), said the flagship port recently dropped to 58 percent despite a series of holiday periods and low trucking activity.
Ports usually target to keep their utilization rates at lower levels to ensure faster movement of cargoes in the terminals.
“The significant efforts in which both the private sector and the Bureau of Customs to release longer-staying imports at the terminal has resulted in lower overall container dwell times, allowing us to efficiently utilize the ample capacity to accelerate volume growth,” Gonzales said.
This new yard usage rate comes from the 90-percent average in January. It was toned down to 70 percent in April after the government and the private sector moved overstaying cargoes out of the Port of Manila.
“We call on stakeholders to embrace these gains by not reverting to the old ways, which has been common in previous years when utilization rates dropped,” Gonzales said.
To recall, Manila dealt with huge spikes in yard usage rates due to overstaying empty containers, which was exacerbated by weather-related vessel delays, holiday peak season and the import-export imbalance.