How to Import Goods in Philippines? Procedure for Importing Goods

Philippines is an archipelago comprising of 7,641 islands. The country shares maritime borders with China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the island nation of Palau. As per Philippines Export Data, the country exported goods value as US$77.9 billion.

The main export destinations are China, Japan, the United States and Singapore As per Philippines Import Data, the country imported products worth US$76.8 billion.

To register as an importer business entities first need an import clearance certificate from the Bureau of internal revenue. Importers then register with the Bureau of Customs and set up an account with the client profile registration system. The Import clearance certificate is valid for 3 years while the custom client profile accreditation must be annually updated.

Here are the required documents for importers-

1. Packing list

2. Invoice 

3. Bill of lading

4. Import permit

5. Customs import declaration

6. Certificate of origin

Additional documents for certain imports-

Importers bringing in animals, plants, foodstuff, medicine or chemicals must additionally obtain a certificate of product registration from the Philippines food and drug administration.

The country follows the United Nations’s standard international trade classification. Import tariffs can range from 0 to 65 percent. Imported goods in sectors which have high domestic production typically incur higher tariffs. For non-agricultural goods tariffs average at 6.7%.

The Philippines tariff commission has launched a tariff finder under web portal to aid importers which can be accessed easily. To register as an importer, businesses first need an import clearance certificate from Bureau of internal revenue. Importers then register with the Bureau of customs and set up an account with the client profile registration system.

There are mainly three categories of permissions required to take import clearance cargo delivery from Philippines customs bonded area.  They are Permission from Philippines Customs authorities, Permission from Carrier of goods, permission from custodian of cargo handling at particular import customs port in Philippines.

The Bureau of Customs (BoC or BOC; Filipino: Kawanihan ng Adwana) is the official Customs department of Philippines under the Department of Finance. It is in charge of directing and facilitating trade, evaluation and collecting import duties and taxes, fighting illegal trade and other forms of customs fraud, and devising and managing customs administration frameworks for trade facilitation.

Report this Page