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The Bureau of Customs has partnered with the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute to advance valuation and monitoring mechanisms in steel imports and exports
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A BOC-PISI technical working group will be set up to build a unified steel trade database
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Reforms center on digitalization, automation, and data-driven governance, including AI-driven accreditation, enhanced scanning, and integrated customs databases across ports
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) entered into a strategic collaboration with the Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) to strengthen customs monitoring, valuation, and enforcement mechanisms in the iron and steel sector as part of the government’s broader push to modernize trade administration.
The partnership follows a meeting between BOC and PISI officials on January 25, where they agreed to form a Technical Working Group that will develop a unified, time-bound database to monitor steel imports, improve commodity classification, and support standardized customs valuation based on historical data.
Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the initiative forms part of the Bureau’s data-driven reform program, which prioritizes digitalization, automation, and stronger use of analytics across customs operations.
These include enhanced stakeholder accreditation using artificial intelligence and data analytics, improved scanning capabilities, and integrated customs databases across ports to improve transparency and valuation accuracy.
“Customs modernization must be anchored on credible data, automation, and strong institutional partnerships. By working closely with industry leaders, we can establish transparent valuation standards, close enforcement gaps, and ensure that trade is fair, predictable, and rules-based, consistent with the President’s call for accountable and modern governance,” Nepomuceno said in a statement.
He added that sustaining reforms requires close coordination with the private sector to align technical expertise, industry data, and policy support, and to institutionalize improvements that can endure beyond leadership changes.
For its part, PISI committed to support the BOC’s reform initiatives through legislative advocacy as well as by sharing technical expertise and industry databases to help establish transparent and verifiable reference values for steel imports and exports.
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