THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) on Thursday commended the exemption of exporters from using the Electronic Tracking of Containerized Cargo (E-Tracc) system of the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The system, which has been in effect since 2020, enables real-time monitoring of inland movements of containerized goods using a GPS-enabled tracking device.
“The exemption comes at a critical time as the export sector manages global supply chain shifts and rising logistics costs,” PEZA said in a statement, noting that eliminating E-Tracc fees and the time required for seal arming/disarming, allows PEZA-registered business enterprises to streamline their inbound and outbound containerized cargo processes from zones to ports and vice versa.
“We welcome this development, most especially at a time when ongoing [conflicts] in the Middle East are exerting pressure not only on global oil prices but also on trade flows and economic stability,” PEZA Director General Tereso Panga said.
“The exemption marks a transition from heavy-handed physical regulation to a more sophisticated, data-driven partnership that protects government revenue while aggressively promoting export growth.”
Since the system’s rollout in 2020, PEZA and its registered business enterprises have been calling for the removal of the E-Tracc requirement for outbound cargo, citing it as a redundant cost and an administrative bottleneck.
The exemption removes the “friction” of supply chains to ensure the Philippines’ competitiveness for trade and investments.
“We are effectively rolling out the red carpet for our investors. This is the brand of service we’ve promised since day one — no red tape, only red carpet treatment, made stronger by our partnership with BOC,” Panga said.
PEZA said it hopes that, aside from authorized economic operators, the E-Tracc exemption also covers 100-percent export electronic companies.
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