The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the United Nations (UN) ESCAP recently published a study entitled: “National Feasibility Study on Cross-border Electronic Exchange of Trade-related Data and Documents: The Philippines,” which assesses the readiness of the Philippines in implementing electronic trade data exchange with potential partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

The study is accessible in the ESCAP website at https://tinyurl.com/PH-Feasibility-Study.

Conducted in close collaboration with the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the National Single Window–Technical Working Group (NSW-TWG), and the Philippine Trade Facilitation Committee (PTFC), this study offers a detailed evaluation on the need for enhanced interoperability and integration among the systems of the BOC and its Trade Regulatory Government Agencies (TRGAs).

When it comes to adoption of electronic exchange of data and documents, the joint feasibility study identified China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and the US as key potential trading partners. It highlights the top three documents for prioritization in cross-border electronic exchange: the Certificate of Origin, Export Declaration, and Phytosanitary Certificate.

The report also provided the current landscape of trade facilitation in the Philippines, with a particular focus on the impact of paperless trade on Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) who stand to benefit most from streamlined, digital trade processes. Key findings of the study reveal significant progress in the Philippines’ digital trade infrastructure, with many Customs operations already digitalized. However, challenges including manual processes in permit and license applications and a lack of standardized data formats across government agencies still remain. These issues particularly affect SMEs, which account for 99.5% of firms and 63.2 % of employment in the country.

The study advocates for policy development in areas such as capacity-building, standardized digital data governance, and the use of emerging technologies.