New entrants are MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company Philippines, Inc.; Avisa Container Lines, Elan International Sdn. Bhd., Fesco Ocean Management Hong Kong Ltd., Pan Ocean (Standard Liner Agencies), and Wosun Logistics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. CLA also now has 457 subscriber consignees/freight forwarders, as well as 596 customs brokers, container freight station, and warehouse operators. Twenty-six shipping lines are now signed up with Container Ledger Account (CLA), an online system that aims to simplify and speed up container deposit refund.
CLA is an alternative and voluntary solution to simplify container deposit management between the shipping line and consignee/agent. The system began pilot-testing in the Philippines in December 2021.
The Department of Transportation and Department of Trade and Industry endorsed the system and strongly urged members of the Association of International Shipping Lines (AISL) to join CLA as an alternative to address the longstanding issue on container deposits. AISL has a membership of 36 global container liners calling Philippine ports.
AISL earlier tapped Malaysia-based D&D Control (M) Sdn Bhd to offer an alternative solution to the long-standing issue of the return of container deposits in the Philippines, subsequently putting up CLA Philippines.
CLA has been implemented since 2018 in Malaysia, which also used to have problems with the return of container deposits. Several shipping lines and shipping agents using CLA in Malaysia are also operating in the Philippines.
CLA can either help manage container deposit online or replace the deposit with a one-time security payment.
The system aims to reduce procedures, time, and costs; improve competitiveness, and level the playing field between big and small and medium organizations. It also aims to eliminate the administrative burden of shippers who have to prepare various documents in order to claim their container deposits from various shipping lines.
