The Philippine Bureau of Customs (BOC) played an active role in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Third Senior Officials’ Meeting and related gatherings held in Seattle, Washington, United States of America last August 1-5, 2023.

APEC, a consortium comprising 21 member economies, including global giants such as the United States, China, Russia, Japan, Australia, and the ten nations constituting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), was established in 1989 with the primary aim of promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation across international borders.

As part of the Philippine delegation led by the Department of Trade and Industry, the BOC made a significant impact during the APEC meetings. The BOC was represented by Deputy Commissioner Edward James A. Dy Buco of the Revenue Collection and Monitoring Group (RCMG), Collector Romeo Allan R. Rosales, District Collector of the Manila International Container Port (MICP), and Collector Carmelita M. Talusan.

The BOC delegation actively participated in a series of APEC meetings, including the Alliance for Supply Chain Connectivity (A2C2) on August 1, 2023, and the APEC Customs-Business Dialogue (ACBD) with the theme “Women in Trade” on August 2, 2023.

During the Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures (SCCP) sessions from August 3 to 5, 2023, the BOC delegation took the lead in discussing key subjects including priorities set forth for SCCP in the year 2023, engagement with key stakeholders, advancement of Green Customs initiatives, harnessing digitalization efforts, pandemic response and recovery strategies, enhancing security and streamlining facilitation within supply chains, effective implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (WTO-TFA), and promotion of inclusivity and empowering women in trade.

The BOC delegation is committed in fostering the relationships established during the five-day sessions and will continue to work collaboratively with the other APEC member economies to facilitate trade and streamline customs processes in parallel with emerging developments in technology and gender equality.#