Containerized rice import shipments must be prioritized for discharge, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) ordered, granting the Philippine Rice Importers Association Inc. (PRIA) faster port processing to speed up the release of rice cargoes.

BOC Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, through a memorandum issued by his office on May 4, directed all ports nationwide to prioritize the discharge of containerized rice import shipments.

The directive came in response to a request from PRIA president Raffy Herrera, who wrote to the BOC “requesting the prioritization of the discharge of rice import shipments tagged under the red selectivity lane across all ports.”

To address the bottleneck, the BOC’s risk management office (RMO) implemented adjustments to how these essential goods are categorized.

According to the BOC, containerized and bulk rice shipments were moved from the red lane to the orange lane effective Jan. 18, 2026, to speed up processing while maintaining customs controls.

The shift in selectivity classification aims to reduce the time rice shipments spend at ports by bypassing the more rigorous physical examinations associated with the red lane.

Early data suggests the policy shift has already had a significant impact on port operations.

“It should be emphasized that no entries were recorded under the red lane from Feb. 23 to March 8, 2026, as all rice shipments during this period were routed through the orange lane,” RMO said.

Despite the relaxed classification, the BOC said it is not compromising security.

“The BOC remains committed to balancing expedited trade facilitation with rigorous risk management and regulatory oversight for rice importations,” the memo read.

To ensure the changes are implemented on the ground, the BOC also directed all collection districts to adopt streamlined procedures for the discharge and clearance of rice shipments.

“These measures must ensure operational efficiency while maintaining strict adherence to existing customs laws, rules, and regulations,” Nepomuceno said.