Philippine-based importers and exporters should make “necessary” operational adjustments as the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) foresees delays in cargo due to the partial closure of ports in China, no thanks to the pandemic.
PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago advised importers and exporters to prepare early “to reduce the negative impact of the delays in their overall daily operations, thus, allowing them flexibility in the long run.”
“We need to prepare. Eventually, the delays in cargo shipments will catch up with us due to the congestion being experienced in these transshipment ports,” he said.
To recall, China partially closed some of its ports due to the surge of the Delta variant of Covid-19. Aside from this, major ports in the region were reported to have been congested due to the pandemic.
Many of Philippine imports and exports pass through transshipment ports.
“We are encouraging all importers and exporters to take the necessary steps to adjust and secure their operations to mitigate the impact of the slowdowns or partial closures of the big ports in their overall operations,” Santiago said.
He noted that Philippine major port gateways still operate under optimum conditions and way below the threshold level of utilization set at 75 percent.
“PPA assures the shippers that Philippine ports, can handle the bulk of the delayed shipments when conditions at the transshipment ports start to normalize,” Santiago said.
Image courtesy of AP