BOC: Rice Shipment Delays Not Caused by Port Congestion

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) clarified on Saturday that delays in rice shipments are not due to port congestion. At the Port of Manila, 258 containers of rice remain in the yard, with 237 already cleared for release after payment of duties and taxes, while the remaining 21 are still being processed as their declarations were lodged only on September 20.

Similarly, at the Manila International Container Port, 492 out of 630 containers have been cleared. The BOC emphasized that none of these shipments have exceeded the 30-day period required by law for consignees to claim their goods, or risk having them declared abandoned.

The BOC urged consignees to fulfill their responsibilities promptly to avoid further disruptions, reiterating that the agency remains committed to timely and legal processing of rice shipments.