Philippines soars to second position in Southeast Asia in digital trade facilitation

Triumphing in the field of digital and sustainable trade facilitation, the Philippines has risen to the second position among Southeast Asian nations, based on the 2023 United Nations Global Survey. This announcement was made on Tuesday by the Bureau of Customs (BoC), celebrating the country’s jump from third place in the 2021 rankings. The bureau welcomed this accolade as a demonstration of the nation’s consistent evolution towards enhanced trade procedures and reaching global excellence in customs administration.

The internationally recognised UN Global Survey, organised biennially by an assortment of UN bodies, offers an extensive examination of the nation’s advancements in trade facilitation. It places considerable emphasis on the significant strides made by the Philippines in hastening efficiency and bolstering global cooperation.

According to the most recent survey, the Philippines garnered a commendable trade facilitation score of 87.10%, showing an improvement from 86.02% in the 2021 survey. The Southeast Asian region saw the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia securing the second spot, with Singapore leading the pack with a score of 96.77%.

The BoC attributes the Philippines’ prominent global stance to the bureau’s intrinsic involvement in regional and sub-regional efforts. “By partaking in the Framework Agreement on Facilitation of Cross-Border Paperless Trade in Asia and the Pacific (CPTA) and broadening the Asean Single Window Agreement through the electronic exchange of the electronic Phytosanitary Certificate (e-Phyto), we have facilitated seamless and paperless cross-border trade. These initiatives have provided an extensive and capacity-enhancing inter-governmental platform, enhancing the Philippines’ transition towards a less paper-dependent and eventually paperless trade,” expressed the BoC in a statement yesterday.

The 2023 UN Global Survey also underscores the Philippines’ commitment to implementing the World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement via the Philippine Trade Facilitation Committee (PTFC).

Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio shared his pride in the significant rise of the Philippines to the second position in the 2023 UN Global Survey on Digital and Sustainable Trade Facilitation. He stated, “This achievement mirrors our nation’s commitment to adopting technological advances and fostering a more sustainable and inclusive trading environment.”

Besides, the BoC mentioned that the survey proposes state-of-the-art paperless and cross-border trade facilitation strategies and initiatives aimed at reinforcing more inclusive and sustainable negotiations reported Manila Times.