Question & AnswerQ&A (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 142)
The objective is to implement a regional self-certification system within the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) as part of the second pilot project in preparation for a wider ASEAN-wide Self-Certification System by 2015.
It allows Certified Exporters to self-declare that their products have satisfied the ATIGA Rules of Origin by making a declaration on the commercial invoice, eliminating the need to present a Certificate of Origin (Form D) to claim tariff preferences.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is designated as the implementing agency responsible for granting, suspending, or revoking Certified Exporter status, monitoring compliance, and other related functions.
The Philippines shall accord preferential tariff treatment to goods originating from other participating ASEAN member states upon submission of either a Certificate of Origin (Form D) or an Invoice Declaration made by a Certified Exporter, following BOC regulations.
A Certified Exporter is a producer duly authorized by the competent authority to make invoice declarations certifying the origin of goods exported under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA).
The Invoice Declaration must include a specific declaration about the origin of the goods, include the Certified Exporter Authorization Code, be signed by hand by an authorized signatory, and describe the goods in sufficient detail.
Each Participating Member State must maintain the confidentiality and secrecy of documents, information, and data shared among member states, and not use or disclose confidential information for unauthorized purposes even after suspension or termination of the MOU.
A state may temporarily suspend the implementation, either in whole or in part, for reasons of national security, national interest, public order, or public health by giving written notification to other participating member states or the ASEAN Secretariat.
Certified Exporters must allow competent authorities access to records and premises for verification, make export declarations only for goods they produce with proper documentation, ensure personnel understand the Rules of Origin, and accept full responsibility for declarations made.
The competent authorities may withdraw the Certified Exporter authorization immediately if the exporter fails to comply with conditions, abuses the authorization, or no longer satisfies qualifications, and this withdrawal must be communicated to the ASEAN Secretariat.