(Eagle News) — The Bureau of Customs is now requiring all shipping lines and airlines to submit their cargo manifest and other pertinent documents in advance.
The order to also electronically submit the bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, among others, in PDF format was contained in Customs Memorandum Order (CMO) 6-2018 signed by Commissioner Isidro Lapeña on May 7.
The memo, which shall take effect “immediately,” said this was to, among others, “expedite the release of legitimate cargo upon arrival in the Philippines.”
“The party failing to submit the required information within the period…shall be subject to the payment of imposable fines prescribed in Section 1412 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act without prejudice to whatever additional recourse the BoC may pursue against the delinquent shipping line, (non-vessel operating common carrier), consolidator, co-loader, or break-bulk agent,” it said.