Pre-shipment inspection eyed to curb agri smuggling

In a bid to stop the smuggling of agricultural commodities, President Marcos said he was considering a recommendation to conduct pre-shipment inspections (PSIS) to ensure that these goods would be safe for public consumption.

Marcos said this following a meeting with the Société Générale de Surveillance SA (SGS) Vice President George Bottomley and Managing Director Cresenciano Maramot in Malacañang on Thursday, May 25.

In a video interview, the President said the SGS delegation presented a scheme that thoroughly checks the goods’ legitimacy, weight, quality, and recorded origin. “This scheme would minimize smuggling. It will be essentially… pre-shipment inspection,” he said. “Before the cargo is loaded at the point of origin, they would inspect it already so we won't have to inspect anymore.”

President Marcos said this would extend to cover agricultural invoices so that shipments are already paid before the planes or ships arrive, thereby speeding up the process. There is also the need to conduct a cost analysis first to ensure that no added burden will be imposed on consumers, according to the President.

According to the United Nations (UN) Commodity Trade Data for the Philippines, there was about a 20.48 percent discrepancy in the reported values of agricultural imports from 2010 to 2021, resulting in revenue losses for the government. For edible vegetables, roots, and tubers, the discrepancy was 34.74 percent, while for swine meat (fresh, chilled, or frozen), the difference was 41.89 percent. On the other hand, conducting PSI and conformity assessment procedures would ensure that the quantity and other specifications of the goods conform with sanitary and phytosanitary import permits and test the presence of diseases, among others. SGS claims a PSI would address smuggling and contain the spread of diseases such as African Swine Fever and Avian Flu, also clarifying that inspection and testing fees would be paid for by the exporter.