As part of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) consistent efforts to enhance trade facilitation and promote transparency, the Bureau of Customs, through the Account Management Office (AMO), reported on the statistics concerning accreditation for the first quarter of 2022.

For January to March of this year, AMO processed the accreditation of 3,106 regular importers, 96 non-regular importers, and 558 licensed customs brokers through the Bureau’s Customer Care Portal which allows online processing of applications for accreditation.

The office also reported on efforts to physically inspect facilities and offices of aspiring importers to ensure the legitimacy of their application and avoid dummy accounts that may be used for smuggling and illegal activities. A total of 1,195 importers were inspected, 46 of which were found to be non-existent which led to the denial of their application request.

Lastly, 111 importers and 30 customs brokers were revoked/suspended of their accreditation as they were found to have violated the provisions of RA 10863 or the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA). The revocation is part of the office’s continuous monitoring and post-evaluation of importers and brokers. Through the Bureau’s Customer Care Center and automated systems, AMO continues to provide expedient service in promoting trade facilitation while the no-contact policy in the agency.