The Department of Trade and Industry-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (DTI-FTEB) has filed formal complaints against a number of sea freight forwarders for operating without accreditation and non-delivery of balikbayan (personal effects) boxes.
In an advisory, FTEB said it has filed 43 cases against local sea freight forwarders and their foreign counterparts for violating sections of Philippine Shipper’s Bureau Administrative Order No. 06-2005.
Also blacklisted were 53 foreign freight forwarders and consolidators from Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States that have pending complaints and no known Philippine agent or freight forwarder, said the advisory.
The trade department has also filed five administrative cases against blacklisted and unaccredited freight forwarders that were found operating without a Philippine counterpart and with pending complaints, not delivering balikbayan boxes, or operating without accreditation.
Seven cases against eight unaccredited freight forwarders have already been endorsed to either the Department of Justice or the City or Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
Meanwhile, five accredited freight forwarders have pending cases, while two are for decision and one already revoked with penalty.
For overcharging, two accredited freight forwarders have show-cause orders filed against them, while one has been stripped of its accreditation.
Accreditation of sea freight forwarders is now the responsibility of FTEB as part of the DTI’s rationalization in 2014.
However, the Maritime Industry Authority is currently revising MARINA Circular No. 186 to include sea freight forwarders among maritime enterprises engaged in international shipping it is tasked to accredit.
Sea freight forwarders have long sought the transfer of their accreditation from DTI to MARINA without success.
MARINA is consulting stakeholders on the draft circular. – Roumina Pablo
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