The country’s cargo traffic volume slightly declined in the first half of 2022 versus a year ago, but it is still within the government’s three-year forecast, according to state-run Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
PPA’s latest data showed cargo throughput in January to June stood at 126.7 million metric tons (MT), slightly down compared with 127.3 million MT in the same period last year.
“The posted performances across all sectors are still within the three-year forecast as we continue to veer away from the clutches of COVID-19,” PPA said.
The decline was attributed to the 3.8-percent decrease in cargo traffic to 68.1 million MT in the second quarter from last year’s 70.8 million MT cargo volume, based on PPA data.
“The decline was due to the drop in foreign cargo volume particularly exports, outweighing the increase posted by the domestic cargo sector,” PPA said.
PPA sees export cargo volume improving in the fourth quarter this year.
“However, export volume is expected to pick up as we prep for the run-up to Christmas,” PPA added.
The country’s container traffic grew 4.4 percent to 3.8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in the first semester, compared with 3.64 million TEUs posted in the same period last year.
PPA said the container traffic in the second quarter rose 2.1 percent to 1.9 million TEUs from 1.86 million TEUs in the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the sea passenger volume surged by 167 percent to 28 million in January to June versus the 10.5 million passengers carried in the same period last year which the PPA attributed to the easing of travel restrictions in the summer season.
However, the passenger volume during the period was still relatively lower than the pre-pandemic level, or a total of 45.6 million passengers in the first half of 2019.
