BOC seizes P2M worth of onions from China sans sanitary clearance

The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) seized some P2 million worth of fresh onions from China without the necessary clearances from regulatory agencies.

According to the BOC, its Port of Manila (POM) office found that the 25,000 kilos of fresh onions did not have the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) from the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI). The agency did not identify the importer.

“This recent seizure reflects our firm resolve in ensuring that products that are noncompliant with laws, rules and regulations do not infiltrate our markets,” BOC POM district collector Rizalino Jose Torralba said.

The BOC — mandated to supervise and control the clearance of vessels and aircraft engaged in foreign commerce — is tasked to collect nearly P1 trillion this year after generating P883.624 billion in revenues in 2023.  —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/RF, GMA Integrated News