Understanding Philippines Customs
Customs duties are relatively low in the Philippines, primarily those levied against capital equipment and raw materials for agriculture and light manufactures. Since it is a participant in the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), it offers preferential tariff rates for importations within the region. Moreover, companies enrolled with the Board of Investments (BOI) and the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) can claim additional duty concession privileges subject to certain conditions.
Certain products, such as cement and tires are required by government to be covered by an import commodity clearance prior to release. Import incentives, on the other hand, abound for automobile producers over and above those already provided by ASEAN Industrial Cooperation (AICO) arrangements.
The country uses the ASEAN Harmonized Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) to classify importations from within and without the region, and has been implementing the WTO Valuation Agreement since 2000.
The Department of Trade and Industry, the Tariff Commission and the National Economic and Development Authority are the key players in formulating tariff policies while the Bureau of Customs, under the Department of Finance is responsible for their enforcement.
Services Offered
Our team of customs and international trade consultants can assist your company in the following areas:
- WTO and ASEAN issues
- Anti-dumping and Safeguard Actions
- Trade Intelligence Reporting
- Tariff Rate Modification
- Technical Training
- Tariff Classification
- Import Valuation
- Customs Compliance Reviews
- Customs Post Entry Audit
- Duty Drawback
