Customs seizes ‘ukay ukay’ shipments from US, China

The Bureau of Customs is determined to plug the source of used clothing intended for "ukay-ukay" outlets in Metro Manila as it seized over the weekend another shipment of three container vans of the banned items from US and China.

This was the third apprehension made by the bureau for the month of June involving illegal shipments of used clothing, which were declared as personal effects by shippers from the two major sources in an attempt to evade the ban.

Maj. Isabelo Tibayan of the Customs Intelligence and Enforcement Group (CIEG) recommended to Acting Customs Commissioner George Jereos the filing of a case of technical smuggling against the person or persons behind the illegal shipment, the consignees in particular.

According to Tibayan, there is a big demand for used clothing here which accounts for the urgent need to replenish the supply of the banned items sold at the "ukay-ukay" stores in Metro Manila as shown by the number of apprehensions made recently by the bureau.

Importation of used clothing is banned by the government as a policy to protect the local garment manufacturers who are losing the business to cheap, imported second-hand clothes, Tibayan said, adding that due to the flourishing trade on used clothing, importers risk bringing in such illegal cargoes.

Jeroes has sought the assistance of US and Chinese Customs officials to help stop the shipment from their end into the Philippines of used clothing by advising them that there is an existing government policy banning their entry as it also affects all other legitimate cargoes mixed under consolidated shipment.

The seized illegal shipment of used clothing was part of a bigger apprehension of misdeclared monosodium glutamate in 10 container vans with a total estimated value of some P40 million, according to Tibayan.