Manila port operations back to normal - Palace official.

Operations at the Manila ports are back to normal as carriers have started to remove their earlier surcharge during port congestion, a Palace official announced on Monday.

"Congestion is completely over at Manila International Container Ports despite higher than normal volumes handled during the first quarter of this year," Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras said in a statement.

"Operations at the Container Port of Manila are back to normal since February 2015," he added.

Almendras said the International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) has reported that a number of carriers calling at MICT have removed their "Port Congestion and other Surcharges." This was a charge implemented by the carriers at the time congestion was experienced at the Port of Manila, Almendras noted.

"This proves beyond doubt that there is no more congestion at the Manila International Container ports, thus the charge no longer needs to be implemented," he said.

Almendras said the remaining shipping lines are seeking approval from their regional headquarters to drop their surcharges within the month.

He also urged importers and forwarders to reduce their trucking rates prior to the port congestion. Port congestion occurred last year amid a number of factors, including the daytime truck ban earlier enforced by the city of Manila.

"We also look forward to the return of trucking rates to its normal levels prior to the congestion," Almendras said