Import: Standards, Testing, Etc.

Standards and Technical Regulations

Standards and technical regulations are created to defend the safety of humans, the environment, and the nation. The requirements may concern the features or quality of a product or the procedures for testing, certification, labeling, and so on. They relate to issues such as product development, production, packaging, storage, distribution, and marketing.

Standards are voluntary and are generally developed by a group of stakeholders, such as industry, consumers, public authorities, and researchers. Technical regulations are compulsory requirements set by governments. A standard may become a technical regulation if a government mandates it.

International organizations devoted to creating and administering standards include:

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T), telecommunication standardization sector

In the Philippines, the Bureau of Product Standards under the Department of Trade and Industry develops products standards.

Labeling

Labeling of Foodstuffs

Labeling is an essential requirement in the import process. Philippines has the following labeling requirement for the import of general goods:

Name of the product
List of ingredients used in the product (in decreasing order of proportion), including used additives, flavorings, and preservatives
Net content of the product
Name and address of the manufacturer/packer or distributor, including the country of origin for imported products
Name and address of the Philippines importer/distributor
Lot identification

No labeling for biotechnology or organic products is required by the government.

Fish

An International Health Certificate is issued only when the following requirements are met for the import of fish in Philippines:

Fish and fishery/aquatic products meet the quality of fresh fish
Prior to freezing they are graded according to size.
The fishery products must be handled and processed hygienically in processing plants and/or freezer vessels.
Frozen fishery products must be kept and maintained at -18 degree Celsius (°C) or lower during transport.
Fish and fishery/aquatic products must be subject to visual inspection for parasite check. Fish infested with parasites must be removed from the batch.

Mislabeling, misrepresentation, or misbranding leads the entire shipment to seizure and disposal.

Requirements for Specific Products

Generic name of a particular pharmaceutical to appear above its brand name on all packaging.
Labeling/marking requirements for certain commodities are given below.
Jewelry of precious metals must have the fineness markings denoting the appropriate quality symbol.
Samples must be properly marked and documented.
Prepared foodstuffs must have a list of specific ingredients and address of manufacture as per guidelines of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) of the Department of Health (DOH).
Beverages, pharmaceuticals, and toilet preparations must have labeling as per rules and guidelines of the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD).
All the clothing must have proper sizing, gender, fabric content, and care instructions, as per the guidelines of Garments and Textiles Export Board (GTEB).
Consumer goods must be labeled according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Philippines National Standards (PNS).
Food and food products that contain genetically modified agricultural products must be labeled accordingly.
Labeling is mandatory for textile fabric, ready-made garments, households and institutional linens, and garment accessories.

Note: The above information is subject to change. Importers are advised to obtain the most current information from a customs broker, freight forwarder, or the local customs authorities.