BOC principal appraisers placed under Import Assessment Service control

Dec. 13 | Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero has transferred the operational control of all Bureau of Customs (BOC) principal appraisers to the Imports Assessment Service (IAS). Administrative supervision of principal appraisers, meanwhile, remains with...

CCBI seeks exemption from burdensome POM access pass policy

Dec. 13 | The Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc. (CCBI) is requesting the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to exempt customs brokers, their representatives, and regular employees of business establishments located inside the customs building from the implementation of the...

PH trade surges 14% in Oct on robust imports, export recovery

Dec. 13 | Philippine merchandise trade reached US$16.43 billion in October 2018, an increase of 14% from $14.41 billion in the same month last year, propelled by strong imports as well as improved export performance, according to data from the Philippine Statistics...

Fake tobacco suppliers shift to producing counterfeit brands in PH

Dec. 13 | Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has directed the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to work with their counterparts in China to stop the illicit entry in the Philippines of cigarette-making machines used to manufacture...

BOC tightens controls on goods declaration lodgement, valuation

Dec. 10 | The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued new directives on the lodgement of goods declaration and on valuation to improve revenue collection efficiency and ease port congestion. According to Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 25-2018, dated and signed by...

Gov’t, private groups sign ‘10 Commitments of PH Logistics Services Sector’

Dec. 10 | At the signing of the Ten Commitments of the Philippine Logistics Services Sector, from L to R: Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Rowel Barba; Association of CY/CFS Operators of the Philippines president Alexander Ong; Customs Bonded...

Enhancements for BOC’s 1-Assessment ready

Dec. 10 | The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is set to launch this month fixes for bugs and updates for 1-Assessment. 1-Assessment is the web-based queue management app that provides bias-free assessment by randomly assigning appraisers and examiners to declared goods...

BOC units placed under direct supervision of IG deputy commissioner

Dec. 10 | Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero has placed several Bureau of Customs (BOC) units under the direct supervision of the deputy commissioner for Intelligence Group (IG). The administration, operation, and production division of the Customs Intelligence...

ASEAN firms stand to gain from trade war if they act now—trade and customs expert

Dec. 3 | Angelia Chew, co-founder and managing partner of Singapore-based AC Trade Advisory, at the recent seminar on “Managing International Trade in the Philippines and Beyond in Asia Pacific” organized by PortCalls and Asia Customs & Trade. The...

DoTr push barging of empty containers to Subic port

Dec. 3 | Subic port photo courtesy of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said it will push shipping lines to return empty containers to North Port, Manila’s domestic terminal, where they can then be transported by barge...