Please note that effective November 22, 2019, the Philippines Bureau of Customs is implementing Customs Memorandum Order 48-2019 requiring all shipping lines to indicate the exact cargo description and Harmonized System (HS) codes on all cargo manifests for proper cargo profiling.
For information, the order states,
“Cargo description on the cargo manifest must be precise enough to enable the Bureau of Customs to identify goods for discharge at the port and take pre-emptive action, if warranted. Generic description in the cargo manifest of the carrying vessel such as FAK (freight all kinds), General Cargo and/or similar terminologies will not be allowed and will be considered as failure to exhibit the required document.”
Swire Shipping must submit all manifests electronically to the Bureau of Customs at least 24hours before vessel arrival. In order for the exact cargo description to be manifested and declared in a timely manner, it is mandatory for all cargo details including the HS code to be reflected on the bill of lading.