ASIAN Terminals, Inc. (ATI) said international shipping lines have agreed to share vessel resources to help ease the flow of containers at the Manila South Harbor.
In a statement on Tuesday, the listed port operator said at least six shipping lines have already committed to help in hastening the removal of empty containers in the port.
“In a collaborative session on Tuesday hosted by ATI, major international shipping lines have agreed in principle to cooperate and share vessel resources to immediately evacuate empty containers from Manila and surrounding areas… For its part, ATI will dedicate ample resources to handle the requirements of the shipping lines to ensure quick turnaround time,” the company said.
The shipping lines were identified as CMA-CGM Group; T.S. Lines Ltd.; Evergreen Shipping Agency Philippines Corp.; Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp.; Wan Hai Lines Ltd. and Hyundai Merchant Marine (Philippines) Co., Inc.
The shipping firms, ATI said, agreed to conduct a weekly pullout of more than 10,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of empty containers from the port. These containers will then be recirculated to other Asian destinations.
“The idea is that after cargo discharge, the vessels docked at the port will load empty containers, regardless of which shipping line owns such container,” ATI Executive Vice-President William Khoury said in the statement.
The buildup of empty containers at the Manila South Harbor has caused delays in recirculation of containers, which impacts truck turnaround time and limits operational efficiency of the port. — Denise A. Valdez
