Port efficiency to attract more shipping lines, users to Subic

International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) continues to make a strong case for the Subic Bay Freeport as a key international trading gateway of the Philippines after achieving productivity levels at par with that of the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT).

Two Panamax quay cranes at the New Container Terminal (NCT) 1 recently handled close to 400 twenty foot equivalent units (TEU) with each crane averaging 40 and 33 moves per hour, respectively. The productivity levels were achieved during the inaugural call of Evergreen Marine Corp.’s 1,440-TEU boxship Cape Fulmar.

Cape Fulmar berthed at the New Container Terminal 1 in Subic Bay Freeport Zone

The call signaled the start of Evergreen’s South Korea-Taiwan-Philippines (KTP) service, a new route to facilitate improving regional trade between the three economies. The service plies the ports of Incheon and Kwang Yang, South Korea; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and Batangas, Manila and Subic Bay, Philippines. Aside from Cape Fulmar, 1,440-TEU boxship Cape Faro is also chartered to the weekly service.

“It was a great effort and a big win for ICTSI’s Subic operations. This goes to show that Subic is at par with the productivity levels in MICT. We are continuously working on improving our services to attract more shipping lines, and for northern and central Luzon businesses to use the container terminals in Subic,” says Roberto Locsin, Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC) President.

He adds: “As a national port operator, ICTSI ensures that each Philippine marine terminal under its helm remains competitive. Subic, in particular, was developed not only for the industrial locators of the Freeport but for the local markets in Luzon north of Metro Manila.”

MICT, ICTSI’s flagship terminal, primarily serves the Metro Manila market and its adjacent markets, where most of the economic activities of the country happen being the country’s capital. “Metro Manila as a market will continue to grow,” says Locsin.

“But, as the northern and central Luzon countryside develops driven by industrial centers like Subic, Clark, Bataan and Tarlac also continuing to grow, the Subic Bay Freeport is that gateway ready to link its products to global markets. We have the equipment and facilities. We carry ICTSI’s brand of service and efficiency,” he adds. (Manila Bulletin)

http://business.mb.com.ph/2017/05/08/port-efficiency-to-attract-more-shipping-lines-users-to-subic/

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World’s 5th biggest carrier starts Kaohsiung-Subic route

Another global shipping company has made the Subic Bay Freeport its port of call of choice, bringing to five the number of major shipping lines that operate in the country’s premier free port.

Evergreen Line, which is based at Taoyuan City in Taiwan, is the world’s fifth biggest shipping firm and operates in 240 ports in 80 countries worldwide. It commenced operations here on Wednesday (April 19) with the arrival of M/V Cape Fulmar, a 1,440-TEU vessel home-ported at the Marshall Islands.

According to Evergreen boarding officer Andy Dela Cuesta, the arrival of Cape Fulmar marked the start of Evergreen’s once-a-week rotated schedule from the port city of Kaohsiung in Taiwan to Batangas and Subic in the Philippines, and back to Kaohsiung.

Cape Fulmar, which has berthed at Subic’s New Container Terminal (NCT), unloaded 200 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) container vans and 70 forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU) container vans for companies in Subic and Clark like Yokohama, Lepanto Tiles, and Coam Philippines.

Before it departs, the ship will load 39 containers of products for shipment, Dela Cuesta added.

The Evergreen official also said that some of their customers in Manila are now considering putting up warehouses in Subic, noting the easy access to Subic Freeport via the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx).

The entry of Evergreen in Subic, according to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator Wilma Eisma, “will definitely boost the timely transshipment of goods in Central and Northern Luzon and improve the competitiveness of these areas in terms of the delivery of raw materials and finished products.”

“Time is one major concern of investors and manufacturers in Central and Northern Luzon— their raw materials should arrive on time and their finished products must be delivered as scheduled. And this is where Subic comes in to provide ease and cost-efficiency,” Eisma added.

The SBMA administrator also said that as her administration is keen on increasing container traffic in the Subic Bay Freeport, the agency is actively promoting the Subic as an ideal shipping port, pointing out that it is the only port in the country’s Western seaboard that can accommodate a sizable quantity of cargo container.

“Along this line, the arrival of Evergreen is a major development for Subic,” Eisma added.

Taiwan is now among the Philippines’ biggest trading partners, with around $7.85 billion worth of bilateral trade in 2015. Currently, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone hosts 52 Taiwanese companies with $500 million worth of investments and over 12,000 jobs generated.

Thus far, Evergreen is the fifth major international shipping line to call on Subic and connect the free port to major economies in Asia. The others are American President Lines (APL), which is based in Singapore; Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) of Japan; Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) of Japan; SITC Container Lines of China; and Wan Hai Lines of Taiwan.

Evergreen, which has 190 ships and some $4.6 billion in revenue, is also the fifth biggest shipping company in the world, according to MoverDB.com. NYK places No. 14 in the same list, while Wan Hai is at No. 19.

In 2015, it was named “Best Global Shipping Line” by Asia Cargo News at the Asian Freight Logistics and Supply Chain Awards for consistent excellence in customer service, innovation and quality of services provided. (RAV/HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS:

[1] A tugboat nudges MV Cape Fulmar into position at the New Container Terminal-2 in the Subic Bay Freeport on Wednesday. The arrival of the container vessel marked the start of a Kaohsiung-Subic- Kaohsiung route for Evergreen Lines, the world's 5th biggest shipping line. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[2] Container trucks line up at the New Container Terminal-2 in the Subic Bay Freeport on Wednesday, as MV Cape Fulmar unloads cargo containers to mark the start of a Kaohsiung-Subic- Kaohsiung route for Evergreen Lines. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

[3] Officials of the Taiwanese shipping giant Evergreen Lines proceed to the dockside at Subic’s New Container Terminal-2 on Wednesday to welcome the arrival of MV Cape Fulmar, which marked the start of a Kaohsiung-Subic- Kaohsiung route. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

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Evergreen adds Subic to Korea-Taiwan-Philippines service

Taiwan’s carrier Evergreen will add Subic to its existing Korea-Taiwan-Philippines (KTP) service from next month, utilising Subic’s New Container Terminals 1 and 2 operated by Manila-based International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI).

The addition of Subic to Evergreen’s KTP service will open the port to direct trade links with South Korea and Taiwan. The trade will also include transshipment service for overseas cargo.

Cargo unloading at the container terminal in Subic Bay Freeport

The first Evergreen container ship is scheduled to make its maiden call at Subic on 19 April. The weekly KTP service port rotation is Korea’s Incheon and Kwangyang, Taiwan’s Kaohsiung, the Philippines’ Batangas, Manila and Subic, and back to Kaohsiung.

Roberto R. Locsin, general manager of ICTSI subsidiary Subic Bay International Terminal Corp, commented: “Our inclusion in the KTP service is a clear indication that the markets of central and northern Luzon are growing, and will benefit from another large global carrier participating in this growth.”

In December 2016, the Taiwan Maritime and Port Bureau (TMPB) expressed interest to partner with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) to increase container transhipment traffic between the ports of Taiwan and Subic.

The Philippines has been able to capitalise on Taiwan’s ‘Southbound Policy’ which aims to strengthen trade and investment relationship between Taiwan and countries south of the latter’s territory.

Taiwan is the Philippines’ sixth biggest trading partner, facilitating around $7.85bn worth of bilateral trade in 2015. South Korea, on the other hand, is the Philippines’ fifth largest trading partner in 2015 with bilateral trade reaching $13.4bn in 2014.

Recently, SBMA has urged local government units around the Subic Freeport Zone to start developing industrial parks to accommodate the growing number of investors.

“We’re now seeing the results of our campaign to promote Subic. We are doubling our efforts to sustain the current momentum to ensure we don’t lose on the gains we have achieved in putting Subic at the center of economic growth in central and northern Luzon, ” said ICTSI’s Locsin. (Lee Hong Liang, Seatrade Maritime)

http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/news/asia/evergreen-adds-subic-to-korea-taiwan-philippines-service.html

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