The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) posted positive performance in the first 5 months of the year as total cargo volume registered a 15.5% hike from 86.377 million metric tons (mmt) in 2020 to 99.776 mmt this year.
The export sector posted a huge 70% increase in volume while Import cargoes soared by 23% for the period
Containerized cargo traffic went up 18% to 2.984 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) compared to the 2.533 million TEUs handled in the same timeframe last year.
Shipcalls handled 418 more calls for the first five months of the year to 149,366 against the 148,948 shipcalls listed last year. Foreign shipcalls registered a 23.65% growth rate.
Yard utilization at the country’s top international gateways remain under optimal condition with Manila International Container Terminal posting the highest utilization rate of 62.13% followed by Manila South Harbor with a utilization rate of 56.03% and Manila North Harbor’s 45.20%.