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Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. has been granted Level 1 accreditation under the Bureau of Customs’ Authorized Economic Operator Program
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Sony Philippines Inc. accelerated to Level 2
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MMPC is the sixth company to become a member of the AEO Program while SPI is the fourth company to be upgraded to Level 2 membership
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As an AEO Level 1 member, MMPC will be exempted from renewal of accreditation, self-assessment, supplementary goods declaration, and a dedicated help desk
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SPI’s benefits now also include a dedicated processing lane, advance clearance process, periodic lodgment, one-time exemption certificate, and expedited customs clearance for exports
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) has been granted Level 1 accreditation while Sony Philippines Inc. (SPI) accelerated to Level 2 under the Bureau of Customs’ (BOC) Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) Program.
MMPC – the Philippine operation of Japanese automobile manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors Corp. – is the sixth company to become a member of the AEO Program, following Toyota Motors Philippines Corp., Panasonic Manufacturing Corp., and Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines, Inc. (formerly Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc.), and SPI —all upgraded to Level 2 accreditation—and Brother Industries (Phils.), Inc. currently under Level 1.
SPI, meanwhile, was upgraded to Level 2 on November 28, 2025, according to BOC Assessment and Operations Coordinating Group (AOCG) Memo No. 247-2025.
Aside from the six, four other companies have been issued with pre-screening certificates, which meant they demonstrated their readiness to apply for Level 1 accreditation.
With MMPC’s accreditation, Customs commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno through AOCG Memo No. 246-2025 dated November 28 directed concerned BOC offices to afford MMPC’s import entries and other related customs transactions the benefits of being accredited under Level 1 of the AEO program.
BOC in December 2019 launched its AEO Program in compliance with the country’s commitment to the World Customs Organization’s SAFE Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade.
The AEO Program represents a customs-to-business partnership that seeks to enhance international supply chain security and facilitate movement of legitimate goods. Implementation of the AEO program in the Philippines became possible in 2016 with the passage of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
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Once granted, accreditation under the AEO Program will last until suspended, revoked, or cancelled through voluntary withdrawal.
As an AEO Level 1 member, MMPC will be exempted from renewal of accreditation under any customs accreditation system.
In lieu of the annual renewal of accreditation, AEO members are only required to periodically update its information and corresponding documentary requirements pursuant to membership responsibilities of an AEO under Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 09-2020 (guidelines for the pilot implementation of the AEO program for importers and exporters).
AEO members with a satisfactory system for managing their trade documents may be allowed by BOC to use their trade documents to self-assess their duty and tax liability, where appropriate, to ensure compliance with other customs requirements. For this purpose, information declared by an AEO member in its goods declaration based on its self-assessment will be accepted by BOC.
A dedicated help desk will also be provided to assist MMPC on any customs-related concerns. AEO members will also be accorded recognition by BOC as trusted trade partners.
For SPI, Level 1 benefits will remain, but will now also include Level 2 benefits: a dedicated processing lane, advance clearance process, periodic lodgment, one-time exemption certificate, and expedited customs clearance for exports.
The AEO Office may motu proprio consider upgrading a Level 1 member to Level 2 or 3, depending on the AEO’s degree of compliance with the requirements of accreditation.
A Level 3 member will have extended additional benefits that the customs commissioner, in consultation with the AEO Office, will identify.
AEO members are, however, still subject to post-clearance audits to ensure compliance.
For now, only importers and exporters may seek accreditation for the AEO program but the BOC has said it is committed to expanding the program to other stakeholders in the supply chain, including freight forwarders, customs brokers, manufacturers, carriers and warehouses.
In April, Interim AEO Office head and Export Coordination Division chief Atty. Jenny Diokno said the agency has drafted an executive order that will transition members of BOC’s Super Green Lane (SGL) Facility to become accredited under the AEO program. The intention is for the AEO program to eventually replace the SGL Facility.
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