Notice from Commissioner of Customs regarding increase in duties and taxes.
Dear Valued Partners, We write to inform you of the imposition by the Commissioner of Customs of increases in the duties and taxes to be paid for all containerized shipments coming in from the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Asia. The amounts of these increases vary according to the container size. Kindly see the email below from our Customs Broker for the respective amounts and to give you a picture of the situation here at the North and South Harbors and the effects of the increases on all forwarding companies whose shipments are being held for non-payment of the additional taxes and duties.
While we have held off from informing you since last week of the need to pay the additional duties and taxes for your containers in the hope that the unilateral action of the Customs Commissioner will be checked by the national government or otherwise recalled, it appears from the present situation that these payments are unavoidable and will have to be made if your containers are to be released in the same period of time as before and not be subjected to a 100% examination of the boxes. But that is only until today for containers that can be released by today. By Monday, 10 August 2015, the Bureau of Customs will start to conduct a 100% examination of the boxes, and this will involve full stripping of all the boxes and the payment of the actual customs duties and taxes of all items in the boxes which are found to be taxable. We have been informed by our Customs Broker and our contacts at the Bureau of Customs that these procedures have already been conducted against several companies, the latest of which was Manila Forwarders which was assessed the amount of almost PhP300,000 on top of the regular duties and fees that have to be paid.
In order to protect our interests – specifically the avoidance of the delayed release of the container for a period of three (3) weeks or more after full stripping – we are now constrained to ask from you the appropriate increase in the customs duties and taxes for all containers that are already awaiting customs processing and for all subsequent containers to be shipped to Manila.
We sincerely hope you understand that paying the increased duties and taxes is the only way for us to avoid the lengthy delays in the release of your containers.
Kindly take note, however, that should the increased duties and taxes be recalled or struck down as illegal, we shall immediately cease from billing you the additional duties and taxes imposed.
Thank you very much for your understanding and prompt action.
Very truly yours,
NDB