Container volume handled by Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT) in Tagaloan, Misamis Oriental slightly increased by 0.4% in 2018 as foreign shipments recorded improvements while domestic boxes significantly declined, data from the Phividec Industrial Authority (PIA) showed.
The Mindanao terminal handled 229,634 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in 2018 from 228,729 TEUs in 2017.
MCT, operated and managed by Mindanao International Container Terminal Services, Inc., a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services, Inc, is located at Phividec Industrial Estate-Misamis Oriental Special Economic Zone. The zone is managed, supervised, and administered by PIA.
Of MCT’s total 2018 volume, 81% were foreign containers, a 21% rise to 186,051 TEUs from 153,990 TEUs in 2017.
Imports jumped 19.9% to 90,535 TEUs from 75,512.5 TEUs, while exports accelerated 18.4% to 89,889 TEUs from 75,951.5 TEUs. Transhipments recorded the highest increase of 122.7% to 5,627 TEUs from 2,526 TEUs in 2017.
Domestic containers, on the other hand, decreased 41.7% to 43,582 TEUs last year from 74,739 TEUs in 2017.
Inward domestic boxes dropped 38% to 24,224 TEUs from 39,129 TEUs while outward domestic shipments fell 45.6% to 19,358 TEUs from 35,610 TEUs.
Total shipcalls at MCT also went down 9.1% to 499 vessels in 2018 from 549 ships in 2017. Foreign vessels that called the terminal last year increased 23% to 337 from 274 in 2017. Domestic shipcalls, however, were 41% lower at 162 from the previous 275.
MCT has an annual capacity of 270,000 TEUs and has been handling more than 200,000 TEUs in traffic yearly since 2011, except in 2015.
The Bureau of Customs is looking at making MC—currently categorized as a subport—a main collection district while the Cagayan de Oro baseport—currently the main collection district that MCT is under—could become a subport. The plan, pursuant to restructuring of the customs agency under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, is still being evaluated. – Roumina Pablo
