Can I act as my own Importer of Record in the Philippines?

In the Philippines, to act as the Importer of Record, it’s not enough to just have a business entity. For example, many of our clients have actual business entities registered in the Philippines but those same entities often do not have the customs accreditation needed to conduct imports or exports, thus they need to hire an IOR on their behalf.

The IOR must also be able to complete any necessary permits. For many of our clients, NTC and OMB permits are required due to the nature of the commodity they typically ship (telecommunications and computer equipment).

What are NTC and OMB permits and when will I need them?

NTC and OMB are regulatory bodies in the Philippines that assure that the equipment being utilized in the Philippines is safe for consumer use. While an NTC permit is required for Network and Telecommunications Devices, and is required for most of our clients shipments. OMB is only required for certain commodities (see below), like Optical Communications Devices, and is more rare.

Are there any restrictions on what kind of equipment I can import into the Philippines?

Certain manufacturers only allow the import of their equipment into the Philippines with their written permission, for example Apple products. Before shipping to the Philippines, you have to understand whether the brand you’re looking to ship has such restrictions. In some cases permission letters, original commercial invoices and purchase orders may also be required to prove to customs the origination and commercialization of the products.