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Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno ordered the implementation of interim measures to ensure the proper processing, assessment, and clearance of e-commerce shipments
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BOC district collectors were directed to strictly enforce the appropriate entry filing system, whether under the express shipment or informal entry framework, as may be applicable, for e-commerce shipments
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The order was issued to safeguard revenue collection, maintain transparency, and uphold the integrity of customs processes pending the establishment of a formal accreditation and verification system for the sector
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It noted the growing volume of e-commerce goods passing through ports
Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno has ordered the implementation of interim measures to ensure the proper processing, assessment, and clearance of e-commerce shipments.
BOC district collectors were directed, through Office of the Commissioner (OCOM) Memo No. 85-2026, to strictly enforce the appropriate entry filing system, whether under the express shipment or informal entry framework, as may be applicable, for e-commerce shipments.
The order was issued in view of the increasing volume of e-commerce transactions and the corresponding clearance of goods in various ports, and after OCOM “observed the absence of an effective registration or accreditation system to properly identify legitimate E-Commerce operators and freight forwarders.”
This deficiency “poses risks of abuse and potential evasion of duties and taxes, given the lack of verification mechanisms,” the memo noted.
Nepomuceno said the directive was issued to safeguard revenue collection, maintain transparency, and uphold the integrity of customs processes pending the establishment of a formal accreditation and verification system.
The BOC in February 2025 released Customs Administrative Order (CAO) No. 01-2025, which covers the policy on the processing, clearance, and release of imported goods to be brought into the country by means of online trading platforms and e-retailer website as defined in Republic Act (RA) No. 11967 or the Internet Transactions Act of 2023.
Under the CAO, all stakeholders, including e-commerce operators, digital platform providers, e-retailers, value-added service providers (VASP), freight forwarders, and customs brokers will be accredited with the BOC for e-commerce transactions.
READ: Logistics, regulatory challenges hamper PH e-commerce growth
BOC is also supposed to issue guidelines and procedures, and the conditions for the accreditation of the various e-commerce stakeholders.
Only accredited stakeholders will be allowed to use the dedicated e-Commerce Processing System (EPS), which will be established and utilized for clearance and release procedures, as well as for implementation of a risk management system. This is to delineate the procedures to be followed exclusively for e-commerce transactions, the CAO noted.
Pending the establishment of the EPS, BOC may enlist the services of third-party solutions providers.
South Korea’s Customs Uni-Pass International Agency (CUPIA) earlier said it is proposing to establish a dedicated e-commerce processing system for BOC.
Established in 2006, CUPIA is a non-profit organization that manages the deployment of UNI-PASS, one of the world’s most established customs automation platforms.— Roumina Pablo
