Hapag-Lloyd Halts Manila, Batangas and Subic Bay Bookings Through 2026

Hapag-Lloyd has stopped accepting new bookings to Manila, Batangas and Subic Bay from every origin and trade lane, and the suspension is scheduled to stay in place through December 31, 2026. The carrier attributes it to continued congestion and severe limits on depot space and empty-container return capacity in the Philippines.

That cause shapes the exposure for cargo already moving. Bookings that haven’t loaded can still be cancelled, while containers already discharged enter a return network where terminals and depots have turned empties away on and off this year. Which problem applies to you depends on where each container sits today.

What Hapag-Lloyd’s Advisory Covers

Item	Detail
Affected destinations	Manila (PHMNL), Batangas (PHBTG), Subic Bay (PHSFS)
Scope	New bookings from all origins and trade lanes
Duration	In effect now, scheduled through December 31, 2026; any change to be announced separately
Existing bookings	Customer service contacts customers whose bookings are cancelled or need revised arrangements
Cargo in transit	Contact local customer service for shipment-specific guidance
Stated cause	Continued congestion and severe constraints on depot and empty-container return capacity

Source: Hapag-Lloyd local news advisory, September 2026.

Two rows in that table carry most of the operational weight. Existing bookings have no blanket protection, and the in-transit guidance gives no general rule, so answers will come shipment by shipment. The advisory names these three ports only and says nothing about Cebu, Davao or other Philippine gateways.

Why Empty Returns Are the Choke Point

Philippine customs data explains the carrier’s reasoning. From January to July 2026, Manila International Container Terminal (MICT) and Manila South Harbor took in 1.37 million TEU of imports and shipped out 1.231 million TEU of laden and empty containers. The Bureau of Customs puts that release rate at 90%, down from 95% in 2025 and 98% in 2024.

The shortfall is concentrated at one terminal. Manila South Harbor exported 511,104 TEU against 382,738 TEU of imports, a 134% ratio. MICT, which handles 60% of Manila’s inbound containers, exported 720,261 TEU against 986,837 TEU of imports, a 73% release rate. In August, customs officials said MICT’s yard utilization was back in the 80% range heading into the “ber” months, the September to December peak.

The mechanism has been visible since February, when MICT’s reefer yard went past 100% on several days and off-dock empty depots filled up. Truckers stuck holding empties could not collect laden boxes, so import containers stayed in the terminal longer and the yard filled further. Every additional import box discharged into that loop adds equipment that eventually has to be reused, returned to a depot or evacuated. That is the pressure Hapag-Lloyd says it is trying to limit.

Batangas and Subic Were Supposed to Be the Overflow

Customs officials have pointed to Luzon’s two secondary gateways as part of the long-term relief for Manila. Deputy Commissioner Agaton Teodoro Uvero said in August that “sooner or later, everyone should be going to either Subic or Batangas.” Hapag-Lloyd’s suspension covers both.

That does not mean all three gateways are equally congested at berth. In a September 22 operational update, Hapag-Lloyd still listed Batangas as operating normally and Subic with vessel waiting times below 12 hours, while Manila faced longer waits. The booking suspension therefore points to the wider container, depot and landside flow problem rather than the same level of vessel congestion at every affected port.

Batangas has nevertheless had its own trouble taking empties this month. CMA CGM’s Philippine customer advisories logged the terminal’s receiving status through September:

Date (2026)	Batangas Container Terminal empty receiving
September 7	Suspended, citing high yard utilization
September 9	Resumed through double transactions (empty return and import pickup in one visit)
September 17, 6:00 p.m.	Suspended again
September 21, 10:00 a.m.	Resumed through double transactions

Source: CMA CGM Philippines customer advisories, September 7 to 21, 2026. The notices come from one carrier but describe the terminal’s receiving status.

That matters for anyone planning to move Luzon cargo to another carrier. A different line may give you a booking, but that does not remove exposure to the same constrained terminal-and-depot network. The nominated empty-return facility can differ by carrier, so check where the box must actually be returned and whether that location is accepting empties.

Return locations are also changing at short notice elsewhere in the country. CMA CGM redirected all dry empty returns in Cagayan de Oro to a different yard on September 4, then reopened the original yard to 20ft units only on September 23.

Where Each Container Sits Decides What You Do

Container stage	What the advisory says	What to check
Booked, not yet loaded	Customer service will contact you if the booking is cancelled or needs revised arrangements	Confirm status by booking number now rather than waiting for the call; price alternative capacity for cargo with a hard delivery date
Loaded, in transit	Contact local customer service for guidance	Watch each container for discharge port changes, transshipment holds and ETA revisions through to arrival
Discharged in the Philippines	Not addressed	Track last free day, assigned return depot and every refused return attempt, container by container

Hapag-Lloyd guidance by container stage. Source: Hapag-Lloyd advisory, September 2026.

The discharged row is where cost can build. Under Hapag-Lloyd’s published Philippines detention terms, the clock runs until the empty is returned unless the carrier grants an extension or other exception. A team that learns about a refused return from the trucker’s phone call, or from the invoice weeks later, has very little on file to support a dispute.

If your team is working out which containers sit on affected Hapag-Lloyd bookings by checking carrier portals one B/L at a time, walk through how ops teams flag booking changes, discharge events and empty-return exceptions across carriers.

Keep a Dated Record of Refused Returns

Whether detention is owed for days a depot refused your empty depends on your contract and jurisdiction. In the US case and Brazilian regulatory standard we covered in our September 30 guide, disputes turned on dated, container-level proof: the first refused attempt with its date, time, location, container number and who refused it, backed by closure notices and appointment records. That breakdown of demurrage on days a container could not be moved or returned sets out what the file needs to hold.

For Philippine imports, terminal notices like the Batangas advisories belong in that file. A refused return on September 18 lines up with a published suspension. Without the notice on file, the same refusal may be much harder to document later.

What to Check on Hapag-Lloyd Philippines Cargo This Week

Pull every open Hapag-Lloyd booking and B/L destined for PHMNL, PHBTG or PHSFS and sort it by stage: not loaded, in transit or discharged.
For unloaded bookings with a delivery date before January, confirm status with Hapag-Lloyd directly and price alternatives now.
If you rebook with another carrier, ask where the empty will be returned and whether that depot is currently accepting returns.
For containers at sea, monitor discharge port and ETA on each box until it arrives.
For discharged containers, log last free day, assigned return depot and every refused attempt with date and time.
Save terminal and carrier notices on empty acceptance covering the days your containers were accruing detention.
For Manila cargo moving around October 5, confirm trucking and broker availability. Some customs brokers, truckers and allied groups have called for a voluntary “rest day” over congestion and empty-return problems; participation is not the same as a formal port closure.
Recheck the advisory before booking early-2027 cargo; Hapag-Lloyd says it will announce any change to the December 31 date separately.

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