23,000 MT of imported rice kept by consignees in Manila port

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture said Monday, September 23, that there were total of 23,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice in 888 container vans held up over the weekend in the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), mainly because the importers left them there.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Department of Agriculture (DA) spokesman Arnel de Mesa said the imported rice in the MICT was less than 1% of the total supply which has entered the country this year. So far the country has imported 3,093,000 MT of rice in 2024.

“[I]tong pumasok, apparently, [may] naipit nang kaunti na 23,000 metric tons. Maliit lang na bahagi ito, bagamat kung titingnan natin ‘yung absolute value, this is still 23,000 metric tons,” said De Mesa in a Malacañang press briefing on Monday.

(A portion of the imported rice, about 23,000 MT was apparently left in MICT. This is just a small amount, but if we look at the absolute value, this is still 23,000 metric tons.)

It was only when the government said it would seize overstaying container vans that the consignees started taking their stocks out of MICT.

Out of the 888 overstaying containers, around 300 have already been pulled out by their importers, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) general manager Jay Santiago said in the same briefing.

Santiago said earlier that importers may have opted to “keep” the rice stocks in ports while waiting for prices to increase.

Consignees were given until September 30 to pull out their rice stocks from the port. Unclaimed stocks by October 1, the PPA said, would be endorse to the Bureau of Customs (BOC). The BOC will then declare these abandoned.

Abandoned shipment may then be auctioned off or donated to other agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development, said Santiago.

Under the law, consignees have 30 days to claim their goods after payment of duties. If consignees fail to claim their imported goods, these will be deemed abandoned.

On Saturday, September 21, the BOC said only 630 containers of rice remained in MICT.

“Of these, 492 containers have been cleared for release, while 138 containers are still pending payment of duties and taxes,” the BOC statement said. The BOC said, so far, none of the shipments exceeded the 30-day period.

Are importers hoarding?

Despite clarifying that there was no port congestion as Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel claimed, Santiago reiterated what he previously told reporters about it was possible importers were waiting for better prices before taking their stocks out of the ports.

“[D]ahil nga ang nangyayari ngayon bumababa na ‘yung taripa tapos nagsusumikap ang DA na tuluyang mapababa nga ang bigas, hindi na favorable kung minsan ano, ‘yung disposition o pagbebenta noong mga inangkat nilang bigas dahil hindi na maganda ‘yung presyo,” Santiago said.

(Because of lower tariffs and DA’s efforts to lower rice prices, disposition is not favorable or selling the rice they imported because the price is not good.)

“That’s why naghihintay sila na magkaroon ng pagkakataon na sumipa na naman na mag-increase ang presyo at saka doon nila ilalabas ‘yan,” he added.

(That’s why they’re waiting for the time that price increases, then that’s when they will pull the stocks out.)

It’s also possible, according to Santiago, that it’s cheaper for importers to store rice supply in government ports than to lease private warehouses. There have been containers that have stayed at the port for as long as 275 days, he said.

Other commodities like pork, chicken, and onions would be monitored as well to see if these were also being held at ports like imported rice.

Tiu Laurel said last week that delayed release of rice supply from ports is one of the factors that keeps rice prices from going down. The government targets a price decrease ranging from P5 to P7.

Tariffs for imported rice went down from 35% to 15% in light of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s Executive Order No. 62. – Rappler.com