SBITC expands reefer capacity to meet growing demand

Subic Bay International Terminals (SBITC) has increased its reefer handling capability by 15 percent, adding new reefer capacity in response to the Philippines’ growing demand for frozen commodities.

Last May, the Philippine Government, through an update to Presidential Executive Order No. 133, greenlighted the increase in pork imports by 200,000 metric tons for this year to address the supply shortage and the resulting steep price of pork products. The 140,000 metric tons of pork imports, equivalent to 70 percent of the adjusted minimum access volume, are due to be brought in between July and October. The remaining 30 percent is scheduled for entry between November 2021 and January 2022.

Expanding the terminal’s reefer-handling capability enables SBITC to operate more efficiently and offer more flexibility in addressing our customers’ storage and delivery requirements. Ultimately, this allows us to maintain the high quality of service that SBITC has always been known for.

Reefer volume at SBITC grew 98 percent year-to-date in August compared to the same period last year as global reefer traffic jumped 4.8 percent for the first half of 2021.