Customs Chief orders ‘3-days rule’ on valuation requests

AIMING to further improve the agency’s trade facilitation mandate, Bureau of Customs (BOC) Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno directed the Import Assessment Service (IAS) to issue requests for goods valuation to just three days upon receipt of complete documentary requirements, from the previous five days.

The instruction, issued last April 14, covered all the bureau’s 17 collection districts.

It aims to reinforce the BOC’s commitment to operational efficiency, improved service delivery, and the prompt resolution of delays in customs processing, consistent with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to improve ease of doing business in the country.

The directive mandates the IAS to release clearance within three working days from receipt of complete documentary requirements, ensuring a more predictable and streamlined valuation process for stakeholders.

It further provides that in cases where the IAS is unable to issue clearance within the prescribed period, concerned ports may proceed with the processing and release of shipments, subject to full compliance with existing customs laws, rules, and complete documentary requirements.

“We must ensure that valuation concerns are acted upon within the prescribed period.

“Delays in processing must be minimized, and all units are expected to exercise diligence and urgency in the submission and evaluation of complete requirements to ensure that trade flows without unnecessary interruption,” Commissioner Nepomuceno said.