Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) free trade partners (except India) and Japan have accepted the Philippines’ request to allow scanned copies of commercial documents, including certificates of origin (CO), for customs clearance.
Trade assistant secretary Atty. Allan Gepty in a June 4 letter informed Customs commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero of the development, and requested BOC to undertake appropriate actions, including preparation of necessary customs issuance, to implement the measure.
BOC, through the Department of Trade and Industry, earlier requested countries with existing FTAs with the Philippines to accept scanned copies of COs as basis in granting preferential treatment at the country of destination. Guerrero said this will facilitate trade amid implementation of community quarantine and to reduce risk of health exposure of both stakeholders and government employees.
READ: PH asks FTA partners to accept scanned copies of certificates of origin
A CO is a document attesting that goods in a particular export shipment are wholly obtained or produced or manufactured or processed in a particular country of origin). The CO is a basic requirement in customs clearance or trade documentation for goods of origin exported by local registered companies.
In Office of the Commissioner (OCOM) Memorandum No. 137-2020 dated June 29 and signed July 8, Guerrero said the acceptance of the Philippines’ request was “in the spirit of trade facilitation during this COVID-19 pandemic and to implement the reciprocity rule in the submission of scanned copies of Certificates of Origin.”
With this, Philippine exporters may submit the scanned copies of commercial documents, including the COs, for customs clearance at the country of destination.
All stakeholders and BOC offices concerned are directed to observe guidelines in OCOM Memo 82-2020 dated April 7 on online submission of documents for export processing, particularly Section 5.2.3 (f) on the issuance of COs bound for Philippine FTA partners.
OCOM Memo 137-2020 also included a summary of FTA partners’ response on the request to accept scanned copies of commercial documents as of June 2.
These are:
- Australia and New Zealand (ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA) Form AANZ acceptable.
- South Korea (ASEAN-Korea FTA) Form AK acceptable.
- China (ASEAN-China FTA) Form E acceptable.
- Singapore (ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, AANZFTA, ACFTA, ASEAN-India FTA, ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership, AKFTA) Form D, Form E, Form AANZ, Form AI, Form AJ, Form AK acceptable.
- Brunei (ATIGA, AANZFTA, ACFTA, AIFTA, AJCEP, AKFTA) Form D, Form AANZ, Form E, Form AI, Form AJ, and Form AK acceptable subject to submission of original copy within a month after clearance of the goods.
- Malaysia (ATIGA, AANZFTA, ACFTA, AIFTA, AJCEP, AKFTA) Form D, Form AANZ, Form E, Form AI, Form AJ, Form AK accepted provided that the original copy is submitted 30 days after the lifting of the Movement Control Order in Malaysia.
- Indonesia (ATIGA, AANZFTA, ACFTA, AIFTA, AJCEP, AKFTA) Form D, Form AANZ, Form E, Form AI, Form AJ, and Form AK acceptable provided that the scanned documents are colored/not monochrome.
- Cambodia (ATIGA, AANZFTA, ACFTA, AIFTA, AJCEP, AKFTA) Form D, Form AANZ, Form E, Form AI, Form AJ, and Form AK acceptable subject to submission of original CO within 45 days after clearance of the goods and provided that the CO may be verified electronically or through other means.
- Laos (ATIGA, AANZFTA, ACFTA, AIFTA, AJCEP, AKFTA) Form D, Form AANZ, Form E, Form AI, Form AJ, and Form AK acceptable provided that the scanned documents are colored/not monochrome and that the original copy is submitted within a month after clearance of the goods. This measure will remain in effect until September 30, 2020.
- Myanmar (ATIGA, AANZFTA, ACFTA, AIFTA, AJCEP, AKFTA) Form D, Form AANZ, Form E, Form AI, Form AJ, and Form AK acceptable subject to submission of original copy within a month after clearance of the goods and provided that the scanned documents are colored/not monochrome.
- Thailand (ATIGA, AANZFTA, ACFTA, AIFTA, AJCEP, AKFTA) Form D, Form AANZ, Form E, Form AI, Form AJ, and Form AK acceptable provided that the original copy is submitted within a month after clearance of the goods. This measure will remain in effect until September 30, 2020.
- Vietnam (ATIGA, AANZFTA, ACFTA, AIFTA, AJCEP, AKFTA) Form D, Form AANZ, Form E, Form AI, Form AJ, and Form AK acceptable provided that the CO may be verified electronically or through other means.
- Japan (AJCEP, Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement) Form AJ and Form JP acceptable provided that the scanned documents are colored/not monochrome and that the original copy is submitted within a month after clearance of the goods. – Roumina Pablo
