The Bureau of Customs (BOC) renewed its cooperation with the Federation of Philippine Industries, Inc. (FPI) through a new memorandum of agreement (MOA) that seeks to intensify efforts against smuggling, undervaluation and unfair trade practices across major ports in the country.
Signed by Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno and FPI chairperson Elizabeth Lee, the agreement updates and strengthens the previous 2010 partnership between the two institutions by expanding monitoring coverage, improving coordination and making technical inspection findings more actionable.
Under the new MOA, the BOC will accredit FPI’s industry technical experts (ITEs) to assist in inspecting high-risk shipments, ensuring compliance with the Philippine National Standards (PNS) and other trade regulations.
The BOC also committed to acting on official ITE reports within seven days and to sharing non-classified shipment data with FPI to enhance risk profiling.
The agreement extends cooperation to all high-risk tariff lines and across major ports, including Manila, Cebu, Davao, Subic and Batangas.
It also provides for the creation of a joint monitoring committee, which will convene quarterly to assess implementation, track performance and publish annual reports highlighting accomplishments and compliance results.
Meanwhile, FPI will deploy qualified technical experts nationwide to support customs inspections and submit timely reports. It also commits to uphold integrity and confidentiality standards and to disclose any conflicts of interest among its experts.
Safeguards in the agreement include strict data privacy and confidentiality provisions, limitations on ITE authority to purely advisory roles and sanctions for violations of integrity and data security requirements.
The BOC retains exclusive authority over decisions on shipment seizure, forfeiture or release under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).
The MOA will remain in effect for three years and may be renewed upon mutual consent, as both parties agreed to continue discussions on other trade and enforcement issues, including real-time access to import manifests, anti-smuggling legislation and data on ongoing smuggling cases.
Nepomuceno emphasized that the renewed partnership demonstrates the BOC’s commitment to transparency, accountability and protection of legitimate industries, while Lee noted that the collaboration will help safeguard consumers and local manufacturers from the damaging effects of illicit trade.
