What is the outlook for shipping and logistics to and from the Philippines?
With the worst global pandemic in 100 years, many challenges face shipping and logistics to and from the Philippines. There have always been regional logistics challenges, isolated and unique to those regions. However, for the past 11 months, the pandemic has created a global set of challenges that almost every major port in the world is experiencing. The Philippines is no exception. Current challenges include: Very high rates Congestion Longer transit times Blank sailings Aircraft taken offline Lack of equipment Regarding Imports to the Philippines, since the quarantine period began, there have been delays such as: The unpredictable arrival of vessels Customs Delayed issuance of the invoices and/or delivery orders Internet connection problems/issues Limited labor force The customs clearance process which took no more than two days before the pandemic is now averaging four to five days. This time frame is affected by the limited workforce. Some positive news, there...