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After it was transferred to the Bureau of Customs Export Division (ED), the function of pre-evaluating exporters and their export products for issuance of certificate of origin is back with the Export Coordination Division (ECD)
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CMO 28-2020 orders return of pre-evaluation responsibility to ECD with immediate effect
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ED chiefs directed to immediately comply with order and inform exporters of new guideline
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has returned to the Export Coordination Division (ECD) the pre-evaluation of exporters and their export products for purposes of issuing the certificate of origin (CO), a function that was transferred to the Export Division (ED).
Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 28-2020 has “permanently withdrawn and revoked” the temporary delegation of ED under CMO 11-2010, and returned the function to ECD under CMO 02-2010.
CMO 28-2020, dated October 13 and signed October 28, took effect immediately.
It notes this is “in order to effectively establish and maintain a comprehensive database of information related to pre-evaluation of exporters and their export products for CO issuance purposes.”
Chiefs of EDs are directed to immediately comply with the new order and “be under obligation to correspondingly apprise every exporter of this new guideline.”
Under CMO 02-2010, the ECD should exercise oversight functions on all activities related to the issuance and utilization of COs, whether unilateral, bilateral, regional, or multilateral.
The ECD also has the responsibility to pre-evaluate all exporters and their export products for CO issuance purposes, regardless of where the export declarations are processed and regardless of the ports of loading.
Under CMO 02-2010, authorized issuance of COs can still be delegated by the ECD chief to the ED or its equivalent unit in collection districts where the export declarations are processed, provided products exported have a pre-approved evaluation from the ECD chief.
A CO is a document declaring which country a commodity or good was manufactured, and is required by many treaty agreements for cross-border trade so as to determine whether certain goods are eligible for import, or whether goods are subject to duties.
Under Customs Administrative Order (CAO) No. 08-2020, any exporter may apply for the issuance of CO, with or without preferential tariff treatment, through a system allowing the electronic exchange of CO among respective free trade areas. If the system is not yet available, CO in paper form should be issued.
BOC or any designated government agency may determine the origin of goods for export and may carry out proper examination, if warranted. After verification is conducted, the CO may be issued by BOC, or any concerned special economic and/or Freeport zone authority, with BOC’s concurrence.
Currently, Filipino exporters intending to export goods within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have the option to apply for an electronic CO (e-CO) via the new national single window, TradeNet, to secure preferential tariffs under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement.
BOC last September also issued CMO 24-2020, which laid out the guidelines for executing the newly enforced self-certification scheme within the ASEAN. The certified exporter status may be used instead of the CO Form D, as the latter still requires exporters to apply for every shipment manually and only during office hours on regular work days. – Roumina Pablo
