EXPORT ESSENTIALS

For Philippine export trade-related queries to, please visit http://www.itrc.dti.gov.ph/ or contact the following:
betpedp@dti.gov.ph for Philippine Trade Statistics
exportmatching@dti.gov.ph for Trade Opportunity or Export Business Matching
infobetp@dti.gov.ph for Other Export Trade –Related Information
or contact:

International Trade Resource Center (ITRC)
Trade and Information Assistance Group (TIAG)
Export Marketing Bureau (EMB)
Ground Flr. DTI International Bldg.
375 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City 1200 Philippines
Phone  + 632 890 -4660
Telefax +  632 890-4721
www.itrc.dti.gov.ph
Export Trade Facilitation Division (ETFD)
Trade and Information Assistance Group (TIAG)
Export Marketing Bureau (EMB)
Ground Flr. DTI International Bldg.
375 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City 1200 Philippines
Phone  + 632 890-4723/897-7605/890-4693/
  899-0107/896-3251/890-4727
Fax +632 899011/897-7610
Electronic Data Processing (EDP)
Trade and Information Assistance Group (TIAG)
Export Marketing Bureau (EMB)
Ground  Flr. DTI  International Bldg.
375 Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City 1200 Philippines
Phone + 632 890-5234/890-5688
Fax + 632 899-0111


Philippine Export Development Plan
The PEDP for 2008-2010 is now undergoing regional consultations. It has gone through the sectoral consultations applying the tool on value-chain analysis to come up with the strategies to develop and promote the exports of the Revenue Streams.

The PEDP is a rolling three-year plan, which defines the annual and medium-term export thrusts, strategies, programs, and projects. It is implemented  jointly by the government, exporters, and other concerned sectors. It is prepared by the DTI in cooperation with the  Export Development Council (EDC) and the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT) Project on Partnership and Advocacy in Competitiveness and Trade.

Export Procedures

Exporting is both challenging and rewarding. Export procedures are simple and the export documentation required has been lessened.

Build your knowledge and develop skills on the dynamics of exporting by attending seminars/training courses on the basics of exporting, letters of credit, negotiating with the foreign buyers, and other similar courses. The Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) offers courses on these topics.

If you are not yet in business and would like to set up an export company, register with the  DTI or the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); with the city or the municipality where you intend to operate the business; and with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

However, business registration itself does not ensure success unless the basic foundations for a viable export enterprise are present. These are:

  • Organization Readiness – Management is willing to commit resources of the enterprise.
  • Product Readiness – Product meets foreign buyers’ requirements in both quality and price.

Procedures:

  1. Upon receipt of a purchase order from a foreign buyer, immediately send him a proforma invoice for confirmation. An order is confirmed when the proforma invoice is signed and returned to you by the buyer.
  2. Payment for exports is normally made through the banks. The foreign buyer’s interest in the Philippines is represented by a local authorized agent bank, which is designated by the foreign buyer’s bank. The local Authorized Agent Bank (AAB) will assist you in negotiating the collection of the payment for your exports.
  3. The AAB will explain to you all the instructions concerning your shipment to ensure its acceptability for payment. Make sure that you understand all the instructions provided by the bank. If the instructions are written in a non-English language, ask the bank to give you an official translation in English or to officially recognize a translation of the instructions, if the translation was made by someone other than the bank.
  4. Exporters may be paid through banks by means letters of credit (L/C), documents against payment (D/P), documents against acceptance (D/A), open account (O/A), cash against documents (CAD), prepayment/export advance, inter-company open account, offset arrangement, consignment, or telegraphic transfer.
  5. You may or may not need outside financing to produce export products ordered by the buyer. However, should you find the need for outside financing, you can either tap the assistance of government or non-government financial institutions.

Export Documentation
  1. When you are ready to ship, fill up an Export Declaration (ED) form. Sample ED forms are available at EMB, DTI Provincial offices, BOC Processing Units, OSEDCs and PHILEXPORT offices.
  2. Secure an export commodity clearance/export permit from the proper government commodity office, if your product is included in the list of regulated products for exportation or if the buyer requires.
  3. With the required supporting documents, submit the accomplished ED form to the BOC Processing Unit for the approval of the Authority to Load (AL).

For Sending Sample Shipments, follow steps 1, 2, and 3 of Export Documentation.

Loading in Manila

Cargo to be transported by air are inspected by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). Conventional cargo, whether containerized or non-containerized, to be transported by ship are inspected by the Customs Container Control Division and the Piers and Inspection Division, respectively, after payment of the wharfage fee and arrastre charges. Wharfage fee and arrastre services may be paid at South Harbor or MICP.

However, for Board of Investments (BOI) and Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-registered companies, stamping or exemption from payment of wharfage fee may be done at the PPA Unit of OSEDC-Manila at Roxas Boulevard. Loading can either be at the North or South Harbor.

Loading at Provincial Ports

Documentation (steps 1-3) may be done in Manila. After approval of the Authority to Load, the BoC sends message to BoC staff at the Port of Loading.

You can also process documents and secure Authority to Load from the local OSEDC (now in Clark, Davao, Baguio, General Santos, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Subic Bay Special Economic Freeport Zone).

After loading, the BoC issues the following documents upon request:

Type of CertificateType of export products
Certificate of Origin, Form AExport products covered by the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)
General Certificate of OriginExport products not availing of preferences under GSP
Certificate of Origin, Form D Export products covered by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Common Effective Preferential Tariff Scheme
Certificate of Shipment

Furnish the AAB, for record purposes, a copy of the duly accomplished ED form together with other shipping documents, if export negotiation or payment is coursed through them.

For prepaid shipments, send the original commercial and shipping documents to the buyer.

Export Assistance Network

The Export Marketing Bureau’s (EMB) Export Assistance Network (EXPONET) helps exporters and prospective exporters access information and resolve specific problems related to exporting.

Its network consists of over 128 agencies within and outside DTI, including the BoC, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and other export-related agencies including those represented at the One-Stop Export Documentation Center. Advisers are stationed in all DTI regional and provincial offices.

EXPONET provides information on:

  • Export seminar schedules
  • Export organizing
  • Export procedures and documentation
  • Import facilities for exporters
  • Buyer linkages
  • Export financing and incentives
  • Product raw material sourcing
  • Statistical information

The agency also assists exporters in export-related problems/trade complaints.

Contact Information:

Export Trade Facilitation Division
Export Marketing Bureau
DTI International Bldg.
375 Sen. Gil J. Puyat Ave., Makati City
Tel. Nos.: (+632) 890.4693 / 896.3251
E-mail: EMBetfd@dti.gov.ph