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The Philippines successfully exchanged electronic Association of Southeast Asian Nations customs declaration document with Lao PDR and Brunei through the ASEAN Single window
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The Bureau of Customs said the development marks a significant step toward seamless and efficient cross-border trade in the region
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The Philippines also actively exchanges ACDD with other ASEAN member states Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam
The Philippines has successfully exchanged electronic Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Customs Declaration Document (ACDD) with Lao PDR and Brunei through the ASEAN Single Window (ASW), according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The development, which was announced by the ASEAN Secretariat, marks a significant step toward seamless and efficient cross-border trade in the region, BOC said in a statement.
Aside from Brunei and Laos, the Philippines also actively exchanges ACDD with other ASEAN member states Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
“This milestone strengthens our collaboration with ASEAN partners, ensuring a more efficient, transparent, and interconnected customs environment that benefits businesses and the economy,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said, highlighting the system’s role in streamlining processes and enhancing trade efficiency.
The ACDD is a multipurpose document used to facilitate the exchange of export declaration information among ASEAN member states. It includes 15 mandatory information parameters extracted from the export declaration.
The ASW, meanwhile, is a regional initiative to speed up cargo clearance and promote regional economic integration by enabling the electronic exchange of border documents among the 10 ASEAN member states.
In 2022, BOC launched the ACDD Operations Portal, which facilitates the exchange of incoming and outgoing ACDD messages through TradeNet and/or the Philippine ASW Gateway and ASW Gateway of other ASEAN member states.
The launch follows BOC’s issuance of Customs Memorandum Order No. 26-2022, which provides the guidelines and procedures for the electronic exchange of ACDD using the ACDD Operations Portal in pursuance of the Protocol on the Legal Framework to Implement the ASW.
READ: BOC issues guidelines on e-exchange of ACDDs
BOC earlier said full implementation of the ACDD exchange will start upon the issuance of the relevant CMO. BOC has worked in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development, through its ASEAN Policy Implementation Project, for the creation of the ACDD Portal.
Exporters will have to register through the ACDD Portal. The online registration form will be linked to BOC’s profile data and the exporter’s account will be verified through the Client Profile Registration System (CPRS). Only exporters with active CPRS can register and use the ACDD Portal.
Once registration has been verified, the exporter may proceed with creating an account, wherein they will be able to view, track status, print and generate reports for all outbound ACDD messages sent under their account.
The ACDD portal will facilitate the sending of the outbound ACDD message to the importation ASEAN member state through the Philippine gateway.
The tracking functionality of the ACDD portal will inform the exporting country that the message has been received and acknowledged by the importing ASEAN member state which will indicate the completion of the outbound ACDD message cycle.
The ACDD portal will also receive the ACDD messages from other ASEAN member states and will be stored in the ACDD portal database. The inbound ACDD message will complement BOC’s risk management activity and will contribute to the reduction in customs clearance time for import consignments, CMO 26-2022 noted.
Until such time that a TradeNet ACDD Module is implemented, exchange of information in the Philippine ASW Gateway Business-to-Business Integration will be made using the ACDD Portal.
TradeNet is the country’s national single window, which is a prerequisite to connect to the ASW. – Roumina Pablo
