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...

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...

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...

BOC chief orders heightened anti-smuggling initiatives

Nov. 28 | Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero has directed customs officials and employees to intensify anti-smuggling measures in ports. In a memorandum dated November 22, Guerrero reminded Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials to ensure they comply with the...

Gov’t moves to solve empty container return problem; groups shun planned truck holiday

Nov. 14 | (Clockwise, from right) Philippine Ports Authority general manager Atty Jay Daniel Santiago, Customs commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero and Department of Transportation OIC-undersecretary for Maritime Fernando Juan Perez meet on Nov 14 to coordinate government...

Duterte forms council to revive barter trade

Nov. 6 | Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has created a council that will revive the ancient trade of barter in Mindanao to spur growth in the region. Under Executive Order (EO) No. 64 series of 2018, the Mindanao Barter Council (MBC) is established to supervise,...

New square root rule for non-intrusive cargo exam takes effect in CDO, Davao

Oct. 25 | The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has released rules on the implementation of the square root scheme when selecting cargoes for non-intrusive examination at the ports of Cagayan de Oro (CDO) and Davao. Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 16-2018 notes that the...

BOC rolls out implementing rules for consolidated balikbayan box shipments

Oct. 22 | Just in time for the holidays, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued rules for the simplified customs clearance procedures covering consolidated shipment of balikbayan (personal effects) boxes entered through any port of entry, sent to families or relatives...

3 criminal raps lodged against alleged smugglers, customs personnel

Oct. 21 | The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has filed three smuggling cases against importers, customs brokers, and customs personnel for misdeclaration and illegal importation of gun parts and ammunition. The first criminal case was filed before the Department of Justice...

New rules out on 1-Assessment nationwide implementation

Oct. 17 | The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has released guidelines for the nationwide implementation of 1-Assessment, a web-based queue management application that provides bias-free assessment by randomly assigning appraisers and examiners to filed goods declarations. Customs...