The Department of Transportation (DOTr) creates an office against unreasonable charges to be known as the Shippers’ Protection Office (SPO).
Under DOTr Department Order (DO) 2020-008, the established SPO will serve as a body that will protect and assist shippers, both international and domestic, against unreasonable fees and charges imposed by international and domestic shipping lines. This applies to all complaints and issues related to the rates, charges, practices and operations of international and domestic shipping lines in the country.
Moreover, this body will (a) assist the public with matters concerning the operations of, as well as the fees and charges collected by international and domestic shipping lines, and (b) require international and domestic shipping lines to submit comments or position on complaints/issues raised against them, and to appear before the SPO. It will consist of DOTr Maritime, DOTr Legal, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Philippine Coastguard (PCG), and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).
It is notable that the problem on which agency to regulate the exorbitant rates being imposed by the shipping lines has been long-enduring. This new directive will expectedly contribute to the reduced international and domestic shipping cost that will benefit the importers, exporters, and most especially the consumers. –KJDA
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued Department Order (DO) 2020-009 to minimize demurrage charges.
The Registered Exporters ‘REX’ System application was extended until 31 December 2020. This is intended for registered Filipino exporters to fully avail zero tariffs to over 6,000 categories of goods to the European Union (EU) nations under the EU Generalized System of Preferences plus (EU-GSP+) Program.
The Department of Finance (DOF), in collaboration with the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), urges all the 76 Trade-Regulatory Government Agencies (TRGAs) to go on-board the TradeNet for a streamlined and electronic system thru the implementation of 
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), under their DO 2020-007, requires domestic shipping lines to provide cargo space allocation not less than 12% of their vessel’s cargo capacity per voyage for agricultural and food products. This also enjoins all domestic shipping lines to extend a discount of not less than 40% from their published shipping rates for all cargoes on agricultural and food products covered by the DO.
The consolidated Philippine Economic Stimulus Act (PESA) House Bill 6815, also known as the Accelerated Recovery and Investments Stimulus for the Economy of the Philippines (ARISE Philippines Act), seeks to ensure business continuity and aid the recovery of critically-impacted businesses brought about by the afflicting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Export Development Council (EDC) re-grants Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc.’s (PHILEXPORT) accreditation as the dominant umbrella organization of Philippine exporters during its first ever virtual Joint Council and Executive Committee (EXCOM) Meeting via ZOOM.
The meeting was graced by the Council and EXCOM members from both the government and private sectors. All the members from government agencies were represented, namely the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Finance (DOF), Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and Department of Labor (DOLE). Also, representatives from the Office of the President (OP) were in attendance.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the University of the Philippines Public Administration Research and Extension Services Foundation Inc., Regulatory Reform Support Program for National Development (UPPAF-RESPOND) has officially turned over the Supply Chain Analytics (SCAn) Dashboard and launched the Incident Reporter Mobile Application last 21 May 2020 at the National Incident Command Center in Camp Aguinaldo.