Manila port logjam fans inflation concerns

[MANILA] Containers with goods from garlic to microchips are piling up at the main ports in the Philippines six months after a truck ban took effect, causing a supply logjam that's fanned inflation and may impair output.

"It's hurting production; it's raising our costs," said Alfredo Yao, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry which has 1,500 members. "Inflation has accelerated. It won't be long before it hurts economic growth."

Manila expanded a daytime ban on trucks in February, doubling the turnaround time for the vehicles, crowding the city's three ports and holding up goods meant for consumption and production.