The DTI set up two pop-up stores at the Manila Marriot Hotel for the three-day event to showcase exceptional products of 23 micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
THE Department of Finance (DOF) has pushed for the Philippines’ full implementation of an international merchandise passport that will showcase Filipino-made products globally and provide wider access for local businesses to leverage opportunities in foreign markets.
The ATA Carnet, which is part of the DOF’s ongoing efforts to enhance the ease of doing business in the Philippines, is an international customs document functioning as a merchandise passport or passport for customs clearance throughout several customs checkpoints on a duty- and tax-free basis. The ATA is accepted by an international network of 81 customs administrations.
“With this system, we now offer them [Filipino businesses] cost-effective access to international trade exhibitions that would have otherwise been prohibitive for them to attend in the past,” DOF Revenue Operations Group (ROG) Undersecretary Charlito Martin R. Mendoza said in a speech delivered on behalf of Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto for the Grand Launch of the ATA Carnet on July 15, 2024.
Apart from reducing the costs of exporting goods, the ATA Carnet promotes trade efficiency as it simplifies customs procedures through a single document for all customs transactions, and makes arrangements for entry to many countries in advance at a predetermined cost.
On top of this, the merchandise passport will help facilitate the re-entry of the product to any contracting country since it eliminates the need to register goods with the contracting country at the time of departure.
The ATA Carnet system was established by the International ATA Conventions and is governed by the World Customs Organization and the International Chamber of Commerce’s World Chambers Federation.
