The pod of dolphins seen off the Philippines look to be in unison, not so sure this is the case for the government and their business community.
In a recent statement, the Philippines Business Network slated the government for achieving little progress in taking their policy recommendations forward.
Amongst other concerns, from security to corruption, specifically mentioning the failure to make progress on ATA carnet implementation.
Our clients do ask about the position in the Philippines. To be clear, they are not ATA carnet members and do not officially accept carnets. You may have seen cases of people using them but this is not official policy.
Current Position
The Philippines are ASEAN economic group members, an organisation which wants to see “The ATA Carnet Convention applied in their tariff and customs codes.”
ASEAN’s current member directory does however make clear this is not so in the Philippines. Temporary admission of goods such as professional equipment:
- Is allowed for 6 months, with a possible extension of 6 more months.
- Requires a re-export bond 1.5 times the amount of estimated duties.
- Needs an entry declaration, bill of lading and shipping documents.
- Also a detailed packing list and import permit for regulated goods.
- They clearly declare, Philippines is not a signatory to ATA Carnet.
Their policy is explained in more detail on a customs portal, in section 105 of this pdf.
Philippines Practice
We have heard of cases and seen posts online where visitors have passed through with just a carnet. Holding one does not however preclude you from meeting the customs regulations of any country.
There are background advantages, a carnet can act as a detailed list, offer confirmation and clarity on return, or if you are in transit to another country, not least one which accepts ATA carnets in the normal way.
The reality still remains that the reason people are succeeding may be because customs officials on entry aren’t too diligent. They see an official document which looks to cover the position and the goods, so let you through.
With this far from guaranteed, on another day you could face delays, hassle, cost. Whilst we and their own business community would like to see ATA carnets in the Philippines, they are not officially allowed.
The best way to deal with your needs can vary, according to your individual travel itinerary and the items involved. By all means get in touch with our specialist team if we can offer support.