WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/LIC/N/1/PHL/1
14 April 1998
(98-1483)
Committee on Import Licensing Original:  English
AGREEMENT ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES
Notification under Articles 1.4(a) And 8.2(b)
PHILIPPINES
The following communication, dated 6 April 1998, has been received from the Permanent
Mission of the Philippines.
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Article 1.4(a) -  Sources in which information relevant to import licensing is published
1. Official Gazette of the Philippines
2. Annual Reports of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
3. Circulars of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
4. Newspapers of national circulation
Article 8.2(b) -  Laws/Regulations/Administrative Orders
1. Agricultural products
 Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Circular No. 109, Series of 1996,  dated 16 May 1996, deleted
agricultural products listed in Annex A from the list of prohibited/regulated commodities enumerated
under Appendices 1 and 2 of CB Circular No. 1389, series of 1993, as amended.
2. Vehicles, trucks and buses
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Circular  No. 92, dated 19 October 1995, lifted the restrictions on
the importation of new vehicles, used trucks abov e six tons and used buses above twelve tons.
3. Oil and petroleum products
(i) Republic Act  No. 8180, dated 28 March 1996 - An Act Deregulating The
Downstream Oil Industry, And For Other Purposes and its Rules and Regulations,
liberalized the importation of crude oil and petroleum products subject to the rules
and regulations of the Department of Energy.
(ii) a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Circular No. 112, dated 2 August 1996 - lifted the prior
clearance from the Department of Energy or the Energy Regulatory Board of the
importation of refined petroleum products and exportation of oil and petroleum
products. Accordingly, CB Circular No. 1389, s. 1993, as amended, is furtherG/LIC/N/1/PHL/1
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amended to delete refined petroleum products from the list of regulated import
commodities,  and  oil and petroleum products from the list of regulated export
products.
4. Plants and plant products
(i) Bureau of Plant Industry Administrati ve Order No.1 -Rules and regulations to
implement PD 1433 the law entitled Promulgating the Plant Quarantine Law of 1978,thereby Revising and Consolidating Existing Plant Quarantine Laws to Improve and
Further Strengthen the Plant Quarantine Service of the Bureau of Plant Industry.
(ii) BPI Quarantine Administrative Order No. 23, Series of 1988 -  Regulations for the
importations of fresh fruits and vegetables into the Philippines from countries and
places infested with Mediterranean fruitfly (ceratitis capitata); the Mexican fruitfly
(Anastrepha ludens); the Queensland fruitfly (Dacus tryon) and other fruitflies.
(iii) Administrative Order No. 13, Series of 1949 -  Regulating the importation of rubber
plants and parts thereof  such as seeds, rubber stumps, budsticks, etc.  from Central
America in order to prevent the introduction into the Philippine Islands of a disease
known as Dothidella ulei except for certain purposes and under certain conditions.
(iv) BPI Special Quarantine Order No. 1.1, Series of 1982 -  Regulating the importation of
mango plants (Mangifera spp. ) and parts thereof   from places, areas or  countriesinfested with mango malformation or bunchy-top, woody gall and scaly bark
(cuarteado), diseases of mango in order to prevent their introduction into the
Philippines.
(v) Plant Quarantine Circular No. 1, Series of 1996 -  Guidelines on the importation of
garlic.
(vi) Plant Quarantine Circular No. 2, Series of 1996 -  Guidelines on the importation of
white potato.
(vii) Plant Quarantine Circular No. 3, Series of 1996 -  Guidelines on the importation of
onions.
5. Animals and animal products
(i) Administrative Order No. 4, 10 September 1980 -  Veterinary quarantine services at
Philippine ports
(ii) Administrative Order No. 25, 25 November  1981  -  Defining the powers and duties
of the Director of the Bureau of Animal Industry relative to animal quarantine,
inspection and sanitation as provided under Section 1761-1770 of the RevisedAdministrative Code.
(iii) Administrative Order No. 17, 4 April 1988  -  Rules and regulations governing the
importation, bringing or introduction of poultry meat into the Philippines from foreign
countries and prescribing the treatment to which they shall be subject before shipment
and after arrival in the Philippines.G/LIC/N/1/PHL/1
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(iv) Administrative Order No. 6, 22 March 19 93  -  Importation of cooked meat and
processed meat at CEPA beef, slaughter houses and meat processing plant, Buenos
Aires, Argentina.
(v) Administrative Order No. 11, 12 April 1993  -  Rules governing the importation of
meat and meat products from Brazil.
(vi) Administrative Order No. 19, 10 August 1993  -  Rules governing the importation of
meat and meat products from India.
(vii) Administrative Order No. 17, 26 October 1994  -  Importation of cooked meat and
meat products from Campofrio in Spain.
(viii) Administrative Order No. 1, 20 January 1995  -  Rules governing the importation of
meat products from Australia.
(ix) Administrative Order No. 14, 1 June 1995  -  Rules and regulation on beef and beef
products importation.
(x) Administrative Order No. 7, 24 March 1995  -  Revised rules and regulations on the
control of Foot and Mouth Diseases.
(xi) Administrative Order No. 21, 22 September 1995  -  Rules governing the importation
of fresh, frozen beef and beef products from Argentina.
(xii) Administrative Order No. 5, 14 February 1996  -  Rules governing the importation of
meat and meat products from France.
6. Fertilizer and pesticide
(i) Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority Memorandum Circular No. 10, 13 December 1995
-  Revised  schedule of  fees and charges of FPA effective January 1996.
7. Rice
(i) R.A. No. 3018, P.D. No. 4, as amended by  P.D.  No. 699 and 1485,  P.D. No. 194,
and the Rules and Regulations on Grains Business and National Grains Standards for
Rice and Corn.
8. Shipping
(i) Republic Act No. 7471, 5 May 1992  -  An act to promote the development of
Philippine overseas shipping.
(ii) Rules and regulations to implement the provisions of R.A. No. 7471, the Philippine
Overseas Shipping Development Act, 17  November 1992.
(iii) Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Memorandum Circular No. 24-A,
28 April 1987  -  Amendment of the guidelines on the importation/charter of inter-island tankers.
(iv) Memorandum Circular No. 24, 15 July 1982  - Guidelines for the importation and
chartering of inter-island tankers.G/LIC/N/1/PHL/1
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(v) Memorandum Circular No. 25, 12 August 1982  -  Age and tonnage limitations and
classification requirement of various vessel types for inter-island use.
(vi) Memorandum Circular No. 25-A,1 June 1983  -  Guidelines  on the importation of
tuna longliners.
(vii) Memorandum Circular No. 25-B,  23 April 1985  -  One year moratorium on fishing
vessel importation/chartering guidelines under Memorandum Circular No. 25.
(viii) Memorandum Circular No 104, 6 April 1995  -  Omnibus guidelines for the
acquisition of vessel for domestic operations and fishing vessels/boat.
(ix) Memorandum Circular No. 25-C  -  Exte nsion of the Moratorium on Fishing Vessel
Importation/Chartering Guidel ines Under MC No. 25.B.
(x) Memorandum Circular No. 25-D  -  Revised Age and Tonnage (or BHP) Limitations
and Classification Requirements of Various Vessel Type  for Inter-island Use.
(xi) Memorandum Circular No. 25-E  -  Cla ssification Requirement of Various Vessel
Type for Inter-island Use.
(xii) Memorandum Circular No. 121  -  Policy Guidelines in the Regulations of High
Speed Craft.
(xiii) Memorandum Circular No. 124  -  Revised Classification Requirements for Vessels in
Domestic Trade.
9. Energy
 (i) Department of Energy, Energy Industry Administration Bureau -  Guideline and
Procedure For Coal Importation.
10. Motor vehicle, parts and components
(i) Board of Investments, MO No. 346  -  Import Licences for the Importation of
Component Parts and/or Accessories for the Assembly of Passenger Cars,
Commercial.
11. Environment and natural resource products
(i) DENR Administrative Order No. 97-08  -  Guidelines Governing the Entry and
Disposition of Imported Logs, Lumber, Veneer, Plywood, Poles and Piles, andPulpwood Including Wood Chips.
(ii) DENR Administrative Order No. 17, Series of 1994  -  Registration of Agents,
Contractors and Dealers on Imported Logs , Lumber, Veneer and Commercial Poles
and Piles.
(iii) DENR Administrative Order No. 28, Series of 1994  -  Interim Guidelines for the
Importation of Recyclable Materials Containing Hazardous Substances.G/LIC/N/1/PHL/1
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(iv) DENR Administrative Order No. 28, Seri es of 1997  -  Amending Annex A of DAO
No. 28 Series of 1994 “Interim Guidelines for the Importation of Recyclable
Materials Containing Hazardous Substances”.
(v) DENR Administrative Order No. 29, Series of 1992  -  Implementing Rules and
Regulations of Republic Act. No. 6969, Otherwise Known as “Toxic Substances and
Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990”.
12. Firearms, explosives and related products
(i) Executive Order No. 256 date 21 December 1995 and its IRR date 23 May 1996  -
Revising Executive Order No. 58, Series of 1987, By Rationalizing the Fees and
Charges on Firearms, Ammunition, Spare Parts, Accessories, Components,
Explosives, Explosive Ingredients, Pyrotechnics and Firecrackers.
(ii) Republic Act No. 7183 dated 30 January 1992 and its IRR dated 22 July 1994  -  An
Act Regulating the Sale, Manufacture, Distribution and Use of Firecrackers and OtherPyrotechnic Devices.
13. Agriculture and agricultural products
(i) Republic Act No. 8178 dated 28 March 1996  -  An Act Replacing Quantitative
Import Restrictions on Agricultural Products Except Rice, With Tariffs, Creating the
Competitivenes Enhancing Fund, and For Other Purposes.
(ii) Department of Agriculture Administrative Order No. 8, Series of 1997  -  Prescribes
the Guidelines for Allocating Tariff Quota Licences.
14. Dangerous drugs
(i) Republic Act No. 6423, as amended  -  The Dangerous Drugs Law of 1972.
(ii) 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Trafficking on Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances, which was ratified by the Philippine Senate on
26 February 1996.
15. Radioactive materials
(i) Administrative Order No.1, Series of 1994  -  Amending Administrative Order No. 1
Series of 1981, “Establishing th e Code of PAEC  Regulations”.
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