The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued new regulations governing the entry and disposition of imported wood products, providing streamlined importing procedures and requirements.
Luimyla Valente-Peña, senior forest management specialist at DENR Forest Management Bureau, said in a news release on Saturday that Administrative Order No. 2021-06 repeals previous regulations pertaining to shipments of the products.
Peña said the new policy specified the Asean Harmonized Nomenclature (AHTN) Code for regulated commodities for importation, updated registration requirements and transport documents, and fees and bonds and included additional ports of entry for imported wood products.
“Now, we (have) adapted the AHTN Code and it is published by the Tariff Commission, it detailed the products to be regulated by the DENR. We included Subic Bay Port already, we (also) included North Harbor, Manila and then some in Mindanao,” she said in a webinar.
Transport documents for imported wood products are an authority to import/certificate of registration, sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance, or plant quarantine service certificate issued by the Bureau of Plant Industry and/or phytosanitary certificate.
Others include import entry and internal revenue declaration, commercial invoice, bill of lading, packing list, and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species import permit if applicable.
The red ribbon authentication (apostille) and the log supply contract with foreign exporters are no longer required.
Peña said registration requirements are the authenticated copy of registration, an electronic copy of purchase order, and list of specific species of wood and its specific names if under AHTN Code Nos. 44.03 and 44.07.
Those who may import wood products are tenure holders, wood processing plant permit holders, and certificate of registration holders.
The combined application and registration fee is PHP3,000 and a cash bond of PHP12,000.
Source: Philippines News Agency
