Tuesday, May 08, 2007 Exports exempted from customs x-ray fees
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has ordered all its field offices operating x-ray machines that detect dangerous cargoes to collect "container security fees" for each shipment that pass through those machines.
However, export products that pass through the machines stationed in different ports have been exempted from the fees.
The order was contained in Customs Administrative Order (CAO) 4-2007, signed by customs chief Napoleon Morales. It was dated March 28, 2007 but was obtained by this news service only recently.
"The order shall cover all imported containerized shipments, including those for domestic transshipments, landed or stored in piers, container yards, warehouses and other areas under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Customs," the Bureau Chief explained in the CAO.
Morales specifically "held in abeyance" fees on export products "pending the reconciliation" of two conflicting Executive Orders (EOs). EO 592, which imposes the x-ray fees on all incoming and outgoing goods to be scanned for dangerous cargoes, is seen by exporters as contradicting EO 554 which eliminates all kinds of fees on export products to improve their glob al competitiveness.
"We are pleased that the Bureau of Customs issued this Order for exemption of exports from the fees," said Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis Jr., president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation (Philexport) Inc., the country's umbrella organization of exporters. "Like the other export fees that we have successfully advocated and still advocating for elimination, these charges contribute to making our exports more expensive. Such positive measures definitely help ease the burden of the impact of the strong peso on our exporters."
The x-ray of containers was adopted as part of the country's response to threats of terror attacks and the shipment of explosives and other dangerous cargoes that may be used in terror attacks.
For this purpose, the BOC has acquired x-ray machines meant for deployment in major ports of entry. ( Philexport News and Features/Sunnex)
