THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) said it is considering setting up an e-commerce processing system for clearing international e-commerce shipments.
In an issued Customs Administrative Order (CAO) No. 01-2025, the BoC said it “will establish a standard customs clearance process for cross-border e-commerce goods bought via e-Commerce online shopping platforms” and e-retailer websites offering business-to-consumer transactions.
It also requires all involved in the e-commerce process, such as digital platform providers, e-retailers, Value Added Service Providers, freight forwarders, and brokers to be accredited with the BoC for e-commerce transactions.
“This prevents revenue leakage by ensuring the collection of the lawful and correct duties, taxes, and other charges on imports of e-commerce shipments,” the BoC said.
The BoC has said that revenue collected in 2024 rose to P931.046 billion from P874.166 billion a year earlier.
It cited “the impact of tariff reduction in rice and selected electric vehicles and deferment of priority reforms such as the excise tax on pick-up trucks under the Capital Market Promotion Efficiency Act,” it said in a separate statement on Feb. 15.
The CAO was signed and approved by Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto on Jan. 28. It will take effect 30 days from publication in the Official Gazette or a national newspaper. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante