Phl resumes importing rice; tariff still at 15%

The Philippines officially returned to the international rice market on Jan. 1 after lifting its four-month import ban on the commodity that began last September.

- By JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

However, the tariff rate to be applied on imported rice will remain at 15 percent as the government has yet to formalize the implementation of a higher tariff rate of 20 percent.

Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) director Gerald Glenn Panganiban recently issued the guidelines on the resumption of rice importation.

Under the guidelines, imported rice will only be allowed to enter through 17 ports nationwide: Subic, Batangas, Manila International Container Port, Port of Manila, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Davao, General Santos, Tacloban, Tabaco in Albay, Zamboanga, Bacolod, Iloilo, Tagbilaran, Dumaguete and Calbayog.

Rice imports must arrive in the country within 60 days from the issuance of their respective sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance (SPSIC).