Subic Container Port's Chicken-Eg​g Problem

Comment from a reader:
 SBMA Chairman Garcia describes the lack of business at, and resultant lack of revenue from, Subic's container port as a chicken-egg problem--the problem being how to encourage shipping lines to stop at Subic when a lack of cargo to load and discharge at Subic discourges them from stopping at Subic. It is a chicken-egg problem because the ostensible reason for the lack of cargo at Subic's container port is because shippers of cargo do not ship through Subic, and the ostensible reason for that-- for the shipper's failure to ship through Subic-- is because the shipping lines do not stop at Subic. Meantime, the obligation to repay SBMA's $158 million seaport loan has, after a ten year grace period, commenced this year, posing a real threat of impoverishing SBMA.

Container ships on the Hong Kong-U.S. West Coast trade typically return from the U.S. to Hong Kong loaded mostly with empty containers. I would expect that space for storing idle containers in crowded Hong Kong is limited, yet there is a need to have a ready supply of empty containers close at hand, to meet fluctuations in demand for containers. SBMA, in concert with the container port's operators, should offer shipping lines who load or discharge cargo at Subic, free storage of empty containers at Subic, together with free unloading and loading of the empty containers which the shipping line stores at Subic. Such an offer would be limited to shipping lines that agree to make regularly scheduled stops at Subic to unload and discharge cargo. The costs involved would be defrayed by restricting free storage of containers to a limited period of time-- after the expiration of that period, a storage fee would be charged.
This arrangement would take advantage of Subic's advantages--idle cargo handling equipment, empty container storage yards, competitive labor costs, and close proximity to Hong Kong. Containers might even stored on the idle Subic Raceway, adjacent to the container yards.

In this way, Subic's container port's business could be built up to where it is self-sustaining. After regular ship visits are established, and the container yard filled with inbound and outbound loaded containers, the empty container storage program could be phased out. Comments, anyone?