WHEREAS, the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP), 1993-1998 focuses on global competitiveness and people empowerment as the twin strategy towards achieving sustainable economic and human development;

WHEREAS, in order to achieve global competitiveness, the said Plan stipulates that the Government should continue to undertake the import liberalization and the tariff reform programs towards achieving a structure which approximates uniform effective levels of trade and industrial protection across various sectors of the economy;

WHEREAS, during the Economic Caucus held on 22 July 1993 and the People ™s Economic Summit on 8 September 1993, it was agreed to further liberalize trade policy through tariff reform and import liberalization;

WHEREAS, as declared in the State of the Nation Address delivered on 25 July 1994, the government œwill continue, if not accelerate, the program to reduce tariffs until these reach one uniform rate  to improve the competitiveness of local industries;

WHEREAS, the reduction in tariff levels and in the spread of tariff rates towards a uniform level of protection across all sectors will promote global competitiveness, simplify the tariff structure for ease of customs administration and provide a level playing field for local manufacturers vis-a-vis foreign competition;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 264 issued on 22 July 1995 which took effect as of 28 August 1995 implemented the tariff reduction program on industrial products under Chapters 25-97 of the Tariff Code;

WHEREAS, there is a need to further modify tariff rates on certain products in the said Executive Order as well as include specific items not covered therein;

WHEREAS, a parallel tariff reduction program on agricultural products under Chapter 1-14 of the Tariff Code had to be put in place;

WHEREAS, NEDA Resolution No. 3 (s. 1995) dated 14 February 1995 unanimously approved the adoption by the Philippines of the 1992 amendments to the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System;

WHEREAS, Section 401 of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978 (Presidential Decree No. 1464), as amended, empowers the President to increase, reduce or remove existing protective rates or import duty as well as to modify the form of duty upon the recommendation of the National Economic and Development Authority.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL V. RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

SECTION 1. The articles specifically listed in Annex œA  hereof, as classified under Section 104 of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978, as amended, shall be subject to the rates of import duty in accordance with the schedule indicated opposite each article as listed in the aforementioned Annex.

SEC. 2. A two-tiered tariff structure of 3% and 10% for raw materials and finished products, respectively, as listed in Annex œA  hereof, shall be fully implemented by 1 January 2003. The details of such tariff structure shall be prepared and submitted to the President of the NEDA in accordance with Section 401 of the same Code.

SEC. 3. Starting 1 January 2004, a uniform rate of 5% ad valorem shall be imposed on articles listed in Annex œA  hereof.

SEC.4. Upon the effectivity of this Executive Order, the articles specifically listed in the aforesaid Annex œA  which are entered or withdrawn from warehouses in the Philippines for consumption shall be levied the rates of duty herein prescribed.

SEC.5. All Presidential issuances, administrative rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby revoked or modified accordingly.

SEC.6. This Executive Order shall take effect 30 days following its complete publication in two (2) newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 12th day of December in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Ninety-Five.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd.) RUBEN D. TORRES
Executive Secretary