Philippine Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, and the European Union Eduardo José A. de Vega deposited the ATA Carnet Instrument of Accession (IA) to the World Customs Organization (WCO), in the presence of Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya, in Brussels on 17 January 2022.

Said IA was originally signed by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 23 June 2020 and was amended on 28 April 2021, following DOF’s manifested reservations. The Senate concurred through Resolution no. 832 on 23 August 2021.

The  ATA Carnet System is jointly managed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris and by the WCO in Brussels. Carnets allow the temporary admission of goods without duties and taxes subject to full re-exportation within the specified period. Such goods include professional equipment, commercial samples, and items for trade shows.

EDC commends the OP, Senate, DOF, DFA, and BOC for being instrumental towards the victorious accession of the Philippines in the Istanbul Convention. To be recalled, Exporters and Business Support Organizations (BSO) have been advocating this for more than a couple of decades. This ceremony marks a promising development in bolstering events and trade shows in the coming months.

Moreover, BOC prepares the appointment of the National Issuing and Guaranteeing Association (NIGA) by issuing a Letter of Appointment (LOA) to the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the only accredited member of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) through its national committee in the Philippines (ICC-Philippines). Hence, the qualified organization to issue the Carnets.

Additionally, PCCI is capable of implementing, managing and operating the System and providing accessible services to the international business community throughout the country. ICC Asia Executive Director Ms. Lee Ju Song confirmed this during the Export Development Council-Networking Committee on Trade Policies and Procedures Simplification small group meeting on 18 January 2022.

PCCI, upon appointment by the BOC, can already start the preparations needed to issue the ATA Carnet. As announced by DOF and BOC starting April 17, 2022, Filipino filmmakers, exporters and other services are now allowed to bring their goods for temporary projects without having to pay duties and taxes. The only requirement for exporters is a single document called “ATA Carnet”, also called a “Merchandise Passport”.MRJ