Customs not giving up on 2025 goal as imports fall

THE BUREAU of Customs (BoC) is holding the line on its P958.7-billion revenue goal for 2025 despite a sharp drop in imports and fewer working days in October that slowed collections, a stance that keeps pressure on the agency as the government grapples with weaker fiscal inflows.

- By Aubrey Rose A. Inosante Reporter

Customs Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno said the bureau is not giving up on the full-year target even after the total volume of imports fell by 3% or about P80 billion last month, denting duties and taxes.

“I don’t want to give up because we're already at 98% efficiency,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a Senate plenary debate on the 2026 budget on Nov. 17. “We can still do it if we can in November [and] December.”

The BoC collects taxes and duties from all goods imported to the Philippines.