Shipping From the U.S. to the Philippines

All goods entering the Philippines are liable for duties and taxes upon arrival, even if they were previously exported from the Philippines, unless exempted by the CMTA or other applicable laws. One exception is if the value of the goods is less than PHP 10,000.00.

There are some prohibited and restricted items, which are not allowed to be sent to the Philippines. Prohibited items include those advocating treason or violence, materials promoting unlawful abortion, obscene representations, improperly marked precious metals, adulterated food or drugs, infringing goods, and items explicitly banned by law. Restricted items, unless authorized, include explosives, chemicals, wildlife, dangerous medical drugs, and other specified goods.

Per Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), the following are considered as restricted and prohibited:

Restricted goods

1. Dynamite, gunpowder, ammunitions and other explosives, firearms and weapons of war, or parts thereof;
   
2. Roulette wheels, gambling outfits, loaded dice, marked cards, machines, apparatus or mechanical devices used in gambling or the distribution of money, cigars, cigarettes or other goods when such distribution is dependent on chance, including jackpot and pinball machines or similar contrivances, or parts thereof;
   
3. Lottery and sweepstakes tickets, except advertisements thereof and lists of drawings therein;
   
4. Marijuana, opium, poppies, coca leaves, heroin or other narcotics or synthetic drugs which are or may hereafter be declared habit forming by the President of the Philippines, or any compound, manufactured salt, derivative, or preparation thereof, except when imported by the government of the Philippines or any person duly authorized by the Dangerous Drugs Board, for medicinal purposes;
   
5. Opium pipes or parts thereof, of whatever material; and
   
6. Any other goods whose importation and exportation are restricted.

Prohibited goods

1. Written or printed goods in any form containing any matter advocating or inciting treason, rebellion, insurrection, sedition against the government of the Philippines, or forcible resistance to any law of the Philippines, or written or printed goods containing any threat to take the life of, or inflict bodily harm upon any person in the Philippines;
   
2. Goods, instruments, drugs and substances designed, intended or adapted for producing unlawful abortion or any printed matter which advertises, describes or gives direct or  indirect information where, how or by whom unlawful abortion is committed;
   
3. Written or printed goods, negatives or cinematographic films, photographs, engravings, lithographs, objects, paintings, drawings or other representation of an obscene or immoral character;
   
4. Any goods manufactured in whole or in part of gold, silver or other precious metals or alloys and the stamp, brand or mark does not indicate the actual fineness of quality of the metals or alloys;

In the Philippines, goods are generally categorized into three import types: freely importable, regulated, and prohibited. Importing regulated and restricted items may require additional licenses and certificates. Here is a detailed list of required documents.

In the Philippines, goods are typically classified into three import categories: freely importable, regulated, and prohibited. Some extra licenses and certificates may be required for importing regulated and restricted items. However, as a general rule of thumb, you would need the following documents to import products into the Philippines.

• An endorsed Airway Bill.
  
• A Commercial invoice that shows the commercial value of the goods.
  
• A packing list with the detailed information regarding the products
  
• Duly notarized Supplemental Declaration on Valuation (SDV)

Depending on the types of goods being imported, additional documents may be required, including the following:

• Import license for the Philippines or permit 
  
• Certificate of origin only for those products for which you want to avail preferential tariffs under free trade agreements.
  
• Other documents and certificates that prove exemption from taxes and customs fees in the Philippines
  
• Authority to Release Imported Goods (ATRIG)
  
• Tax Credit Certificate (TCC)
  
• Tax Debit Memo (TDM)
  
• If a ruling was used in goods declaration, a copy of the verdict is required.

The consignee must register with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) as importer. As part of the registration process, you will also need to create an account with the Client Profile Registration System (CPRS).  

The requirements for exporters, on the other hand, differ. If you are looking to export for your business, you will need to register with the CPRS via the Philippine Exporters Confederation.

If you have a package that needs to be delivered quickly, we recommend using our Express Service. This service ensures that time-critical packages arrive expeditiously at their destination.

Customer should comply with the requirements:  

1. Declared value must be correct
   
2. Import clearance is already available prior to arrival
   
3. Goods description must be accurate for tariff classification purposes
   
4. Gross weight and Net weight must be indicated per line item
   
5. Correct consignee name and other detail in the Air Waybill to avoid amendment and penalty fees
   
6. Requirements must be complied within 15 days from arrival to avoid shipment abandonment