MANILA – The Department of Finance (DOF) is pushing for the full implementation of an international merchandise passport that will showcase Filipino-made products globally and provide wider access for local businesses to take advantage of opportunities in foreign markets.
In a statement on Friday, the DOF said ATA Carnet, one of the agency's ongoing efforts to improve ease of doing business, is an international customs document which serves as a merchandise passport or passport for customs clearance throughout several customs checkpoints on a duty- and tax-free basis.
The ATA, which stands for the combined French and English words “Admission Temporaire – Temporary Admission,” is accepted by an international network of 81 customs administrations.
“With this system, we now offer them [Filipino businesses] cost-effective access to international trade exhibitions that would have otherwise been prohibitive for them to attend in the past,” DOF Revenue Operations Group (ROG) Undersecretary Charlito Martin Mendoza said.
“This will increase export and import activities, enhance our trade balance, drive job creation, and attract foreign investments,” he added.
Aside from reducing the costs of exporting goods, the DOF said the ATA Carnet promotes trade efficiency as it simplifies customs procedures through a single document for all customs transactions, and makes arrangements for entry to many countries in advance at a predetermined cost.
The merchandise passport will also help facilitate the re-entry of the product to any contracting country since it eliminates the need to register goods with the contracting country at the time of departure.
The system ensures that the Bureau of Customs (BOC) can collect duties and taxes if goods are not re-exported within the stipulated time frame.
“We will leverage technology to streamline customs processes, enhance tracking and compliance, and ensure its seamless integration,” Mendoza said.
The DOF said the BOC recently released a Customs Memorandum Order titled, Procedure in the Implementation of the ATA Carnet System in the Philippines under the Istanbul Convention, which covers the integration of the ATA Carnet processing system into the existing system of the BOC.
According to the DOF, it has long been lobbying for the Philippines’ accession to the Convention of Temporary Admission of Goods (ATA Carnet) or the Istanbul Convention.
However, a National Issuing and Guaranteeing Association (NIGA) for the Philippines has yet to be approved by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to fully implement the ATA Carnet.
Since then, the DOF has continuously been collaborating with the private sector to boost opportunities for local businesses.
On Nov. 21, 2023, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) was admitted as a member of the World Chambers Federation ATA International Guarantee Chain.
The ICC also approved the full implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the Philippines on July 15, 2024.
The DOF said that as NIGA, the PCCI is responsible for guaranteeing the payment of duties and taxes of temporarily admitted goods in case of violations related to its conditionally free importation to the Philippines.
The ATA Carnet system was established by the International ATA Conventions and is governed by the World Customs Organization and the International Chamber of Commerce’s World Chambers Federation. (PNA)
