The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Saturday clarified the procedures in processing shipments of regulated items, including meat products.

In a statement, the BOC reminded importers of regulated products that they are required to secure corresponding import permits as part of customs clearance.

It cited as an example the processing of meat products coming from international sources.

According to the Port of Cebu, one of the ports which cater to imported meats, the process starts when the importee has provided the corresponding Sanitary-Phytosanitary Import Clearance (SPSIC) from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

It added that shipments are subjected to inspection by the BAI regardless of the selectivity, as part of the first border inspection and issued a signed SPISC.

The meat product is then delivered to the designated cold storage facility where the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) shall conduct a 100 percent examination as part of the second border inspection.

In some cases, Customs representatives are invited to witness the examination.

It noted that a similar process is applied to other regulated products and are strictly enforced throughout all ports of the country.

To date, the BOC has apprehended various shipments containing frozen pork meat products in various ports as part of its commitment to preventing the entry of meat infected with the African swine fever (ASF) virus.

They were apprehended and seized for violation of Sections 117 and 118 of RA 10863 also known as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA).

The Bureau assures the public that border security is a primary concern of the agency and close coordination with regulatory agencies is done to ensure the safe and legal entry of regulated products into the country.

Information on regulated products can be found on the BOC website and social media accounts.