Government imposes ban on used car imports

The government ban on imported used vehicles is now being strictly enforced and government employees and officials who fail to execute the ban will be removed from their posts.

This was announced yesterday by Trade and Industry Secretary Manuel Roxas II who said that the Department of Trade and Industry has launched an intensive information campaign in the major ports to ensure that the ban on imported vehicles is strictly enforced.

"The DTI is now conducting an intensive information campaign in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the ports of Manila, Davao, Cebu, Batangas and Cagayan de Oro," Roxas said.

The information campaign is being conducted together with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

Roxas reported that the Subic Bay Freeport Zone has already revoked import permits issued after Dec. 17, 2002 which are inconsistent with the provisions of EO 156 imposing the ban.

"As of January, the BOC in the port of Subic has seized 74 containers of assorted used motor vehicles such as sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and passenger vans," he said.

"The EO provides administrative sanctions such as expulsion from office and prohibition from holding a government position for at least two years on government employees and officials found to be grossly negligent in executing the mandate of EO 156," Roxas added.

EO 156 bans the importation of all types of used motor vehicles except for the following: A vehicle owned and for the personal use of a returning resident or immigrant holder of 13A and 13G visa; trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 2.5 tons; buses with GVW of 2.5 tons to six tons; a vehicle for the use of the diplomatic corps; trucks with a GVW of over six tons; buses with GVW of over 12 tons; and special purpose vehicles such as ambulances, firetrucks and funeral hearse.