RIBEX Int'l.

06/05/2026

At times circumstances develop favorably; at other times they do not. The present situation concerns events entirely beyond our control and influence.

Our latest February container arrived at the Port of Rotterdam well in advance, on 18 February. However, at the final stage prior to departure, the shipping line unilaterally rescheduled the container to a later vessel for logistical reasons. Subsequently, and immediately prior to the revised departure, Dutch Customs selected the container for a physical inspection.

Such inspections are conducted on a random basis by an automated system, without any specific cause or prior indication. As a direct consequence, the rescheduled sailing was also missed. The container ultimately departed Rotterdam on 16 March.

Transit times are currently extended due to vessels being rerouted around the African continent. During the voyage, additional geopolitical developments caused significant disruption to global supply chains, resulting in further delays and missed connections.

At present, the vessel carrying our container has been at anchor in Manila Bay for several days and is unable to berth due to port congestion and the unavailability of terminal capacity. The latest information indicates that a berth is not expected to become available before 11 May.

While we fully acknowledge the inconvenience caused, these circumstances qualify as force majeure. They are exceptional, unforeseeable, and entirely beyond our control, and we cannot accept liability for the resulting delays.

RIBEX Int’l.

02/05/2026

Geachte klanten,

Gelet op de geopolitieke ontwikkelingen van de afgelopen maanden en de daaruit voortvloeiende prijsontwikkelingen met name op de energiemarkten (diesel, stookolie) welk bestanddeel een zeer belangrijk en misschien wel het belangrijkste onderdeel is van onze tarieven, zal het onontkoombaar zijn dat dit zal gaan leiden tot een tariefsverhoging. Hoeveel deze verhoging per doos zal gaan bedragen is nu nog niet te zeggen aangezien de prijzen van brandstoffen bijna dagelijks fors wijzigen.

Dear clients,

In light of the geopolitical developments of recent months and the resulting price fluctuations, particularly in energy markets, particular for diesel (trucking) and heavy fuel oil (also called bunker fuel for container vessels), which constitute a very significant, perhaps even the most significant, component of our rates, it will be unavoidable that this will lead to a rate increase. The exact amount of this increase per box cannot yet be determined, as fuel prices are changing significantly on an almost daily basis.

RIBEX Int’l.

07/11/2025

https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/weather-traffic/2025/11/7/-very-intense-enormous-cyclone-uwan-to-affect-most-of-luzon-visayas-pagasa-1546

Fung-Wong is forecast to enter the Philippines’ area of responsibility Friday evening or Saturday morning, where it will be assigned the name Uwan.

06/11/2025

Advisory on Delivery Delays Due to Severe Weather Conditions

Dear Valued Clients,

We wish to inform you that due to the recent severe weather conditions affecting the Visayas and Mindanao regions, delivery and transfer operations are currently experiencing unavoidable delays.

Most of Central Visayas, Palawan, and parts of Northern Mindanao are severely flooded, and several areas are without electricity. These conditions have greatly affected our trucking and delivery partners on the ground. In addition, local shipping vessels and barges were temporarily prevented from crossing ports during the typhoon, resulting in vessel congestion and long queues at major ports.

We are also closely monitoring another super typhoon named UWAN expected to affect Luzon this coming weekend, which may further disrupt land and sea transport schedules.

Please be assured that RIBEX Int’l. is doing everything possible to move shipments at the soonest time once it is safe and feasible to do so. However, as this situation is beyond our control, we seek your kind understanding and patience during this time.

Our operations and coordination teams are continuously monitoring updates and will provide further advisories as necessary.

Thank you for your continued trust and understanding.

23/06/2025

Dear Valued Clients,

We would like to kindly remind everyone that only personal effects are allowed in balikbayan boxes. The inclusion of prohibited items may result in delays, penalties, or even confiscation by the Bureau of Customs (BOC), which will implement stricter inspection procedures on all incoming shipments.

STRICTLY PROHIBITED items include:

Commercial goods (items intended for resale)
Furniture or large household fixtures
Agricultural products (grains, seeds, soil, live plants, etc.)

ALLOWED PERSONAL EFFECTS refer to:

Used clothing and footwear
Toiletries and personal care items
Small household items
Gifts intended for family or personal use

Note: Importations of up to 2 litres (2000 ml) of wine and liquor, 2 reams of ci******es and 50 sticks of ci**rs shall be subject to
payment of excise tax only. Any excess is subject to duty, VAT and excise tax.

We highly encourage all our clients to comply with these regulations to ensure smooth and timely delivery of your balikbayan boxes.

Thank you for your continued trust and cooperation.

RIBEX Int’l.

22/06/2025

Dear Valued Clients,

We would like to inform you that following the recent apprehension of Php 816 million worth of illegal drugs concealed in a balikbayan box shipment from the United States, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has directed the implementation of 100% examination of all balikbayan box shipments, regardless of country of origin.

This enhanced inspection may include x-ray scanning, K9 inspection, or physical opening of boxes should there be something suspicious found thru the former forms of inspection. As of this writing, no containers have been cleared by Customs since Tuesday, pending the issuance of official guidelines on the examination process.

Please be reminded that taxable items found during inspection will be assessed duties and taxes accordingly, while prohibited items will be seized in accordance with Customs regulations.

We seek your kind understanding and cooperation as we comply with these heightened security measures intended to protect the balikbayan box system and the welfare of our kababayans.

Thank you for your continued trust and support.

RIBEX Int’l.

19/12/2023

December 19, 2023

Dear Clients,

Container vessels from Europe to Asia are sailing through the Suez Canal, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden for the simple reason that this route is shorter and quicker but all major shipping lines announced that it would pause all vessels bound for the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden over the highly escalated security situation in the area. This decision was taken to ensure the safety of crew, vessels and cargo onboard.

Having monitored developments closely and retrieved all available intelligence, most shipping lines has decided that all vessels previously paused and due to sail through the region will now be re-routed around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope for safety reasons. They will continue their voyages on the diverted routes as soon as operationally feasible and they will update us on the latest details when they know more.

For all future vessels planned to sail through the area, a case-by-case assessment will take place by shipping lines to determine whether adjustments need to be made – including diversions via the Cape of Good Hope and further contingency measures. Shipping lines will continue to provide all information to affected customers on a vessel-by-vessel basis as soon as possible.

We have faith that a solution enabling a return to using the Suez Canal and transiting through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will be introduced in the near future, but at this time it remains difficult to determine exactly when this will be. According to shipping lines getting vessels moving via the Cape of Good Hope will ultimately be a faster and more predictable outcome.

We hope that you understand which impact this may have on our logistics operations, but please rest assured that all decisions have been carefully considered by shipping lines and only implemented in the name of safety.

RIBEX Int'l.

Aanleiding zijn de vele aanvallen door Houthi-rebellen in de Rode Zee. Rederijen wachten nu af hoe de situatie zich verder ontwikkelt of varen om via de Kaap de Goede Hoop.

14/11/2023

To whom it may concern:

Although we do not use a maximum weight for our balikbayan boxes we kindly ask our valued clients to keep the weight of each box reasonable. More and more boxes are far beyond limits regarding their weight which is a direct and major health attack to all personel involved. Here and in the Philippines.
Lifting a box of max. 50 kg is still a reasonable / acceptable weight to handle by two persons but the majority of boxes is heavier.
100 kg or more per box is not an exception which we will not accept anymore. Heavy boxes are also more vulnerable for damage to the items inside the box.
We ask everybody to use their common sense.

We reserve the right to refuse boxes for pick-up which are too heavy and / or deviate from the box dimensions of 70 x 45 x 60 cms so called bulky or pregnant boxes.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation.

RIBEX Int'l.

01/02/2023

To our valued clients,

On a regular basis we notice that addresses and/or phone numbers of some receivers/consignees which you have submitted to us, are not correct or (in)complete which give us or our handler in the Philippines some difficulties to deliver your precious goods to your loved ones.

We would like to ask to all of you before submitting the details of your box(es) to check especially the address and phonenumber(s) of your box receiver/consignee.

Cell phone numbers in PH consist of 11 digits in total. The first 2 digits are always 09 so for example 09123456789.
Not necessary to include country number 0063 !!
To many times we have to conclude that digits are missing or there are to many digits.

So again, please check first all details before submitting them to us.

Thank you for your cooperation.

RIBEX Int’l.
www.ribex.nl

29/04/2022

Beste klanten,

Vanwege de Corona pandemie is de logistieke operatie voor wat betreft het wereldwijde transport over zee steeds moeizamer gaan draaien en gaan haperen met steeds grotere vertragingen tot gevolg.
Met name in de grotere Aziatische maar vooral Chinese containerhavens waar de meeste uit Europa afkomstige containers “in transit” van boord gaan om uiteindelijk via kleinere containerschepen, zgn. feeders, hun reis richting de Filippijnen te vervolgen, loopt de boel spaak en kan men vanwege COVID restricties / beperkingen schepen niet snel genoeg lossen en opnieuw laden voor doorvoer met tot gevolg dat deze transit-havens VOL met containers staan en aankomende schepen ”in de file” op zee voor anker moeten gaan en lang moeten wachten tot ze kunnen lossen. Deze congestie heeft de zgn. logistic supply chain for transport by sea totaal ontregeld en nu met de snel oplopende nieuwe besmettingen in China juist in die steden met die belangrijke doorvoer havens en de met die besmettingen gepaard gaande strenge lockdown maatregelen wordt het er allemaal al helemaal niet beter op.
Duurde het voorheen vanaf vertrek Rotterdam tot aankomst in Manila tussen de 30 tot 45 dagen, inmiddels is dat in een rap tempo verdubbeld naar 60 tot 90 dagen.
Zoals een ieder zal begrijpen heeft RIBEX deze vertraging niet kunnen voorzien en kan hierop geen enkele invloed uitoefenen.
Dit overkomt ons niet alleen. Alle balikbayan box bedrijven ervaren hetzelfde probleem en hoelang dit nog kan en/of gaat duren weet niemand en degene die nu zegt dat wel te weten kan of in de toekomst kijken of vertelt niet de harde waarheid.

Dear clients,

The logistic supply chain of the world wide transportation of containers by sea is experiencing huge delays due too the COVID-19 pandemic. All containers coming from Europe with the Philippines as final destination are unloaded in Asian ports (in transit) especially the huge Chinese container ports before they can finally continue their journey by smaller vessels (feeders) to Manila but because of the pandemic and the new rising contamination figures in China and the strict measures (lockdowns), arriving vessels from Europe cannot unload their cargo on schedule and feeders cannot handle the huge amount of arriving and waiting containers.
Was it before approx. 30 to 45 days (Rotterdam to Manila) nowadays it takes already 60 to 90 days.
As everybody can understand RIBEX cannot be blamed for this. As usual we are doing the utmost to bring your boxes asap from A to B but this congestion / delays were unforeseen. All balikbayan box forwarders are having the same problem and nobody can tell how long this situation will continue. If somebody tell you that he or she knows, he or she can look in the future or he or she is just not telling the truth.

RIBEX Int’l.
Richard & Beth