This early, Customs on alert vs illegal Christmas goods

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is now on full alert in monitoring all imported firecrackers, toy guns and unsafe Christmas decorations in a bid to prevent the illegal entry of sub-standard products during the holiday season.

Agents of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service at the Port of Manila (POM-CIIS) put on hold over the weekend the release of two container vans loaded with imported Christmas lights from China.

Johnny Martinez, POM-CIIS officer-in-charge, said based on the advance inward manifest of the shipment, the container vans are consigned to Ikhea Lightings Inc. located at No. 12 Cadang Street, Masambong, San Francisco del Monte, Quezon City.

Martinez said the shipment arrived at the South Harbor last week on board vessel Wan Hai.

He said one of the vans contained 2,576 cartons of Christmas lights while the other is loaded with 1,575 cartons. Both were shipped from Ningbo, China.

“We will subject the shipment to physical examination and we will check if the importer has proper documents and the items comply with safety standards,” Martinez said.

Customs officials warned groups attempting to bring in illegal goods that they would “only be wasting their money on such endeavor” given the full alert status at the ports.

“We are constantly monitoring the entry of goods, especially those coming from China, to ensure that no substandard or dangerous goods enter the local market,” Martinez said.

Martinez said the BOC is on the look out for the importation of firecrackers and Christmas lights that do not comply with standards set by the Bureau of Product Safety.

Gun replicas, he said, are also considered a regulated importation.

“If we allow items like these (substandard and illegal merchandise) to get past us and be sold in the local markets, it would do more harm than good because even if they can be sold at a low price, they are fire hazards and could cause damage to lives and properties,” he said.

Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales stressed that his bureau was focusing this time of the year on imports that can be harmful to the health or safety of the public.

On Friday, CIIS agents seized P3-million worth of firecrackers and pyrotechnics, including banned items such as watusi and piccolo, at a warehouse in Binondo, Manila.

Firecrackers, which are considered regulated importation, require import permits from the Firearms and Explosives Division (FED) in Camp Crame prior to importation, while Christmas lights are required to secure clearance from the Department of Trade and Industry pending release to ensure it adheres to Philippine safety standards.