Customs assures release of rice shipments with legal requirements

MANILA – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) assured on Saturday that it will release rice shipments following legal procedures and sans unnecessary delays.

In a news release on Saturday, the BOC clarified that the reported delayed release is not caused by congestion in Manila ports but by pending actions required by consignees for the release of the shipments.

BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said hundreds of rice shipments are set for release from two ports.

"We urge consignees to act promptly to avoid further disruptions. The BOC stands ready to enforce abandonment proceedings as mandated by law if goods remain unclaimed," Rubio said in a statement.

At the Port of Manila, 258 containers of rice remained in the yard but 237 of them are cleared for release once duties and taxes are paid.

The remaining 21 containers had their goods declarations only on Friday and are still in the process of being cleared.

The Manila International Container Port, meanwhile, has 630 containers with 492 cleared for release and 138 with pending payment of duties and taxes.

None of the shipments have exceeded the 30-day period stipulated by Section 1129(d) of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.

The law states that importers must claim their shipments within 30 days from payment of duties and taxes or the shipments will be declared abandoned.

The BOC will then proceed with abandonment proceedings if shipments remain unclaimed after the allowable period.

On Thursday, Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel requested the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to give priority to the release of shipments to prevent possible price spikes.

"We respectfully urge the PPA to prioritize the movement of these rice stocks to help increase supply for this essential food staple and potentially lower retail prices," Laurel said in a statement. (PNA)