The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has overhauled its export tracking framework for special economic zones and free ports, establishing an automated integration system that threatens strict physical inspections for non-compliant shippers and introduces potential liability for state investment promotion agencies (IPAs).

Under Customs Memorandum Order No. 9-2026, the bureau launched the AEDS PLUS framework to link its electronic-to-mobile (E2M) system with the automated export declaration systems operated by the IPAs.

The agency said the mandate aims to provide seamless integration between the customs bureau and IPAs through accredited value-added service providers.

The modernization effort requires mandatory registration for all commercial stakeholders. Companies must enroll in the bureau’s Client Profile Registration System to clear cargo through the automated network.

Registered business enterprises operating within major industrial hubs—including the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Clark Freeport Zone, and Subic Bay Freeway—must request profile activation from the district collector holding jurisdiction over their business activities. The activated profile will serve as formal verification that the enterprise is active within the E2M network.

To accelerate supply chain velocity, the bureau is imposing a strict 24-hour departure window. Export shipments must exit their designated economic zones within 24 hours of the final assessment of the export declaration in the E2M system. Exporters anticipating delays must immediately notify their respective investment promotion agency in writing through the fastest available channels to secure formal approval for a late release.

The regulatory shift also introduces rigid enforcement measures to secure system integrity, targeting administrative errors in the filing of the Export Declaration-Single Administrative Document, or ED-SAD.

Shippers are blocked from filing a new declaration without first formalizing the cancellation of the prior document. Violations of this filing protocol will trigger immediate non-intrusive scanning and a comprehensive physical examination of the cargo at the port of loading, potentially stalling supply chains and driving up demurrage costs.

The directive shifts significant accountability onto the agency overseeing the ecozones. If an IPA fails to request the swift deactivation of a non-compliant enterprise, the promotion agency itself may be held legally and financially liable for any subsequent import or export transactions executed by that firm.

Customs noted that full implementation of the AEDS PLUS framework will commence only after systems are completely integrated with the central E2M infrastructure. The Management Information and Systems Technology Group will oversee the technical transition.