MALACANANG
Manila
BY THE
PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
EXECUTIVE ORDER
NO. 490
MODIFYING THE RATES OF DUTY ON CERTAIN IMPORTED ARTICLES AS PROVIDED FOR
UNDER THE TARIFF AND CUSTOMS CODE OF 1978, AS AMENDED, IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THE
COMMITMENT TO REDUCE THE TARIFF RATES ON SIXTY PERCENT OF THE PRODUCTS IN THE
INCLUSION LIST TO ZERO PERCENT UNDER THE COMMON EFFECTIVE PREFERENTIAL TARIFF
(CEPT) SCHEME FOR THE ASEAN FREE TRADE AREA
WHEREAS,
the ASEAN Economic Ministers agreed during their meeting in March 1999 that the
CEPT rates on at least 60% of the products in the individual Inclusion Lists of
the six (6) original ASEAN Member States would be reduced to 0% by 2003;
WHEREAS, Executive Order 268 (s. 2004) granted CEPT rates of 0% on
various products in the Philippine Inclusion List;
WHEREAS, in compliance with
the 60% target, the NEDA Board, during its meeting on 20 December 2005, approved
the grant of CEPT rates of 0% on several more products in the Philippine
Inclusion List;
WHEREAS, Section 402 of
the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978 (PD 1464), as amended, empowers the
President of the Republic of the Philippines, upon the recommendation of the
National Economic and Development Authority, to increase, reduce or remove
existing protective rates of import duty, as well as to modify the form of duty;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA
MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of
the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:
SECTION 1. The
articles specifically listed in Annex "A" (Articles Granted
Zero Duty Under the CEPT Scheme for the ASEAN Free Trade Area) hereof, as
classified under Section 104 of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978, as
amended, shall be subject to the ASEAN CEPT rate in accordance with the schedule
indicated in Columns 4 of Annex "A". The ASEAN CEPT rates
so indicated shall be accorded to imports coming from ASEAN Member States
applying CEPT concession to the same product pursuant to Article 4 of the CEPT Agreement
and its Interpretative Notes.
SECTION 2.
From the date of effectivity of this Order, all articles listed in Annex "A"
entered or withdrawn from warehouses in the Philippines for consumption
shall be imposed the rates of duty therein prescribed subject to qualification
under the Rules of Origin as provided for in the Agreement on the CEPT Scheme
for the AFTA signed on 28 January 1992.
SECTION 3.
All presidential issuances, administrative rules and regulations, or parts
thereof, which are contrary or inconsistent with this Executive Order are
hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
SECTION 5. This
Executive Order shall take effect immediately following its complete publication
in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines.
Done in the City of Manila, this 12th
day of January in the year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Six.
Signature of the President
By the President:
EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary
to view
Annex A
