Customs Bureau creates master list of regulated import products

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Monday launched the masterlist of all regulated import products in the country and corresponding import requirements that aim to make the process of importing more transparent.

"By making the list of all regulated products and their corresponding import regulations and required clearances and permits readily available online, we are empowering the public so they can transact with the Bureau with less hassle and at the same time eliminate any room for corruption in our personnel," Customs Commissioner John Sevilla said in a statement.

The masterlist may be downloaded from the BOC website.

The requirements indicated in the list will be "strictly" implemented beginning April 20, BOC said.

"All imports of products included in the list must have the required permits from the regulating agencies in the masterlist before it can be cleared by Customs," the statement noted.

Sevilla noted that importers and brokers would not have to go from one agency to another just to inquire about the permits and clearances needed for the importation.

"Some importers and brokers would resort to bribery just to make their transactions with the Bureau faster, and at the same time, with little or no knowledge of the import process, traders are often victimized or exploited by unscrupulous Customs employees," he said.

BOC employees, for their part, now have a single reference list for all regulated products.

"They don't have to guess what permits are needed for a certain product. They won't make the mistake of requesting for wrong or unnecessary clearance and permit," Sevilla said.

The BOC head said there are many products which require clearances from multiple agencies.

"We are hoping that this would also serve as a catalyst of change for the different regulatory bodies to revisit their rules or regulations so that in the future we can have unified clearances for products that are presently requiring more than one permit to import," he said.

Sevilla asked government agencies to inform the BOC at least a month before the implementation of changes in their regulations on imports.

He said the agency will ensure that the list will be updated when there are changes in regulations.

The list comes in three versions: by specific product, by broad category product, and by the regulating agency.

All three lists contain information for over 7,400 regulated products including basic commodities, vehicles, iron and steel products, oil, and electronic goods, among others.

Sevilla said it is the first master list in the history of the BOC.

“This is the first in the history of Customs that such a ‘bible’ of all regulated imports and their corresponding import requirements has ever been compiled," he said. — Kathryn Mae P. Tubadeza/BM, GMA News