THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) recently issued Customs Administrative Order (CAO) 07-2022, which provides revised guidelines on the accreditation of importers and consolidates three previous issuances: Customs Memorandum Orders 11-2014, 05-2018 and 31-2019.

CAO 07-2022 primarily outlines the application process for new applications and the renewal of accreditation. It covers all importers who transact with BoC concerning the importation, movement and clearance of goods. These include other government agencies or instrumentalities; foreign governments, officials and representatives; and international organizations. Under the order, the BoC may allow one-time accreditation for importers with a high level of customs compliance under the Authorized Economic Operators and other trade facilitation programs.