The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) is looking at expanding the coverage of the advance load port survey report on bulk and breakbulk cargo to containerized cargo.
In addition, BOC is pushing for GPS tracking of containerized cargo to further secure cargoes while in transit.
“It is possible to expand the port load survey report to containerized cargo as surveyors are already doing it,” Customs commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon said.
“Our load port surveyors have already offered their services for this purpose and we expect that we can get the nod of President (Benigno Aquino III) on this initiative,” Biazon said.
The twin measures are “compliant with world standards and the Revised Kyoto Convention and are also steps toward advance clearance,” he added.
BOC may have a hard time convincing the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to agree to both proposals. PEZA sees the measures as trade barriers as well as adding to business cost, eventually resulting in higher product prices.
The bulk and breakbulk cargo survey is contained in Administrative Order No. 243-A.
Under the port load survey report, surveyors will submit to the BOC detailed information on incoming bulk and breakbulk cargo at least 12 hours before the vessel’s arrival.
The report would contain the quantity, quality, grade, price and classification of the cargoes, port of loading, name of vessel, estimated time of departure from port of loading, bills of lading, surveyor’s seals details, ports of call of carrying vessel and additional testing results. When cargoes arrive at the local port of destination, the importer can immediately discharge and withdraw cargoes from customs premises upon presentation of import entries as confirmed by the port load survey report.
Cargo surveying of bulk and break-bulk cargo involves the inspection, analysis and computation of bulk or break-bulk cargo at the port of loading. The survey’s main purpose is to confirm and verify the quantity and quality of the shipment in relation to goods specifications agreed upon between the buyer and the seller.
Image courtesy of Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
