More exporters and shippers have joined calls for the government to step in and address the current maritime transport issues, including vessel capacity constraints and surging freight prices, which are leading to cargo delays and revenue setbacks.
After the processed food and fresh food exporters, garment and furniture exporters have taken their turn to express frustration and ask for help with the deteriorating container shipping situation in the Philippines.
Robert Young, Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) trustee for the textile sector and president of the Foreign Buyers Association of the Philippines (FOBAP), said the garment industry is incurring millions of dollars in losses due to the supply chain squeeze.
“The issue of vessel space availability is a huge one for us and our clients. Delay is between two weeks to almost two months”, said one garment company. “We are seasonal holiday heavy and [it is] very critical that goods move on time as they have a short selling period.”
