Philippines · PHSFS
Subic port charges, tariffs & dry-bulk voyage planning
Current planning answer: Subic should not be modeled from a frozen annual tariff table. SBMA’s January 2026 scheduled increases were followed by temporary relief measures in April, including a total 35% reduction on specified port tariffs and suspension of the Environmental and Tourism Administrative Fee. For a real call, confirm the current SBMA tariff plus the nominated terminal, vessel and service-specific pro forma.
Why this page is maintained as living port intelligence:
Port economics can change inside the same calendar year. CharterPulse keeps dated changes, identifies temporary or superseded items, and connects the operational implication back to relevant voyage pages instead of creating separate thin “Subic guide” articles.
Subic intelligence timeline
What changed at Subic Bay
Port-relevant developments are ordered by recency. Status labels distinguish current activity evidence from temporary or superseded tariff information.
14 Aug 2026
Current activityPort operations
H1 port-operations revenue grew 8%; bulk and break-bulk shipments rose 24%
SBMA reported PHP 874 million in consolidated Port Operations Group revenue for H1 2026. The Seaport Department contributed PHP 683 million, while non-containerized cargo increased 18% and bulk/break-bulk shipments increased 24%.
Voyage implication: useful evidence of active non-containerized trade, but it does not establish berth availability, terminal productivity or suitability for a specific stem.
Primary source: SBMA · 14 Aug 2026.
15 Jun 2026
Current activityBulk traffic
463 ship calls in Q1, including 171 bulk and break-bulk vessels
SBMA said Q1 2026 ship calls increased 20% year on year; bulk and break-bulk vessel calls increased 29%, while non-containerized cargo rose 30% and bulk/break-bulk cargo rose 47%.
Voyage implication: supports Subic’s relevance for bulk planning, but terminal, draft, discharge method and receiving-window checks still need to be specific to the nominated facility.
Primary source: SBMA · 15 Jun 2026.
29 Apr 2026
TemporaryHigh impactPort cost
Specified port tariffs reduced by a total of 35%; ETAF suspended
SBMA said Board Resolution 26-04-1768 added a further 30% reduction on top of the earlier 5% reduction. The affected categories include charges on vessels, harbor, berthing/anchorage, harbor cleaning, cargoes and wharfage. ETAF collection was suspended pending the lifting of the national energy emergency.
Voyage implication: do not carry forward the January tariff schedule as if it were the current payable basis. Keep CharterPulse port cost editable and replace it with the current tariff/pro forma before a commercial decision.
Primary source: SBMA · 29 Apr 2026.
14 Apr 2026
Superseded by 29 AprPort cost
Initial 5% relief and additional free-storage support announced
SBMA initially announced 5% reductions across specified vessel, harbor, cargo and service-related charges, plus additional free storage measures and temporary suspension of the programmed 10% increase for non-containerized/general cargoes.
Voyage implication: this remains useful history, but the later 29 April resolution is the more relevant tariff-relief reference.
Primary source: SBMA · 14 Apr 2026.
19 Jan 2026
Temporarily overriddenTariff schedule
Phased 10% increase had been scheduled for non-containerized/general cargo charges
The January advisory scheduled 4%, 3% and 3% tranches during 2026 for cargo-handling and miscellaneous charges on non-containerized/general cargoes. April emergency measures subsequently changed the near-term cost picture.
Voyage implication: historical tariff schedules should never be applied without checking whether later resolutions suspended, reduced or replaced the relevant charge.
Primary source: SBMA Seaport advisory · 19 Jan 2026.
Official tariff and operating noticesUse SBMA’s Seaport Department as the primary source for the tariff and forms currently in force.
Open SBMA sourceCharterPulse summarizes dated public information for planning. It does not replace an agent/terminal pro forma, berth confirmation, port circular or current authority tariff.
Verified port context
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority describes Subic as having multiple operational piers and wharves with terminals serving grains, fertilizers and other cargoes. SBMA’s Seaport Department publishes port information, tariff documents, notices, forms and operational requirements.
SBMA also announced a future multipurpose terminal at Lower Mau with a planned 570-metre wharf, 12.9-metre depth and 2.5 million metric tonnes of additional bulk-cargo capacity targeted for completion in 2028. Treat that as future infrastructure, not current berth capability.
Why the tariff timeline matters to a voyage estimate
Port cost is not one static Subic-wide number. Authority tariff relief can change while terminal, pilotage, tug, storage, line handling, cargo handling and other call-specific costs continue to depend on the vessel, cargo, terminal and services used. Keep CharterPulse’s port-cost input editable and replace it with an agent or terminal pro forma before fixing.
Useful pre-fixture inputs
Confirm the exact terminal, maximum arrival draft, berth availability, discharge rate, working hours, gear/grab requirements, laytime terms, demurrage basis, weather allowances, lightering expectations and the tariff actually applicable to the call.
What remains intentionally unclaimed
This page does not assert one universal Subic draft, discharge rate or berth suitability because those depend on the terminal, vessel and cargo. CharterPulse treats those as confirmation items instead of inventing a port-wide number.
Research updated 22 September 2026. Primary evidence is linked at event level so newer notices can supersede older ones without erasing the historical timeline.
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