BOC seizes 160 empty shipping containers at MICP

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized over 160 empty containers at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) as part of measures to decongest the country’s major ports, an official said yesterday.

MICP district collector Elmir dela Cruz cited Customs Administration Order 2-97, in relation to Section 2630 (f) of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, which allows the confiscation of shipping containers from abroad that have not been claimed after 150 days.

“These overstaying empty containers shall not be accepted or loaded in any Customs ports without a lawful permission from our office,” Dela Cruz said in a statement.

The BOC has also instructed all shipping lines, freight forwarders, private arrastre service providers to report or disallow the processing of the overstaying empty containers as these are subject to seizure proceedings.