THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has issued a memorandum order that provides the guidelines for the application, submission and processing of all electronic Certificates of Origin (e-Co) through the TradeNet.gov.ph.
A BOC statement on Monday said Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo B. Guerrero issued Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) 15-2019 last week, to streamline the application of electronic Certificates of Origin from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) through the TradeNet platform.
“While duties and taxes are important for the nation’s economy, as a signatory to trade agreements and in compliance [with] global trade rules and trends, the electronic processing of certificate of origin will get us in the loop of the global trade network. We should not be left behind in the global trade trend,” Guerrero said.
The guidelines are expected to make transactions at the BOC faster and easier, without prejudice to its quality and accuracy, in terms of computations for dutiable values. The CMO also aims to implement paperless transactions, and is pursuant to the protocol on the legal framework to implement the Asean Single Window (ASW) and the amended Asean Trade in Goods Agreement (Atiga) operational certification procedure.
According to Guerrero, with Atiga’s goal to achieve free and faster flow of goods among the 10 member-nations of the Asean, the granting of zero or reduced tariff rates on certain goods originating from these countries will not only help boost the creation of an single Asean market but also help strengthen an economically integrated Asean region.
The preferential tariff rate of duty is being granted to certain goods originating from an Asean member-state, following the Atiga’s Rules of Origin and Operational Certification Procedure (OCP) and upon presentation of a document which certifies that the goods originated from the respective countries.
“Our objective in implementing this measure is to facilitate the transmission of e-CO for export products and the receipt of e-CO for imported products using available technologies and international best practices, in compliance with the CMTA [Customs Modernization and Tariff Act],” he added.
The Philippines was connected to the ASW through TradeNet.gov.ph, the new “National Single Window” developed and established by the Department of Finance’s Inter-Agency Business Process Interoperability and the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
TradeNet.gov.ph is the online portal where the automated licensing, permit, clearance and certification systems of trade regulatory government agencies are integrated. It was designed as the official government system for electronic exchange of data on trade between and among various Philippine government agencies on one hand, and between the Philippines and other countries on the other.
The BOC said that the first stage of the testing for the TradeNet will be implemented in the Port of Manila, Manila International Container Port and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, with the testing to be reviewed per stage.
Stage 1A will involve five volunteer export and importers, 1B with 20 volunteer export and importers, and stage 1C involving 25 volunteer import and exporters for a total of 50 import and exporters for the fist stage of the testing.
