EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 818, July 10, 2009

EXTENDING THE EFFECTIVITY OF THE ZERO RATE OF IMPORT DUTY ON MILLING WHEAT UNDER SECTION 104 OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1464, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE TARIFF AND CUSTOMS CODE OF 1978, AS AMENDED, AS PROVIDED FOR UNDER SECTION 3 OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 765, SERIES OF 2008

WHEREAS, Executive Order 765, issued on 7 November 2008, reduced the duty on milling wheat and feed wheat from 3% and 7%, respectively, to zero, for six months, subject to further review;

WHEREAS, pursuant to Section 3 of E.O. 765, series of 2008, a review was undertaken by the Tariff and Related Matters (TRM) Committee to determine if there is a need to extend the imposition of the MFN rate of duty of zero on milling wheat and feed wheat;

WHEREAS, extending the zero duty on milling wheat would help stabilize, if not bring down further, the prices of bread and other flour-based products;

WHEREAS, the NEDA Board approved on 07 July 2009 the TRM recommendation to extend the imposition of the MFN rate of duty of zero on milling wheat for six (6) months, subject to further review;

WHEREAS, Section 401 of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978 (Presidential Decree No. 1464), as amended, empowers the President of the Republic of the Philippines to increase, reduce, or remove existing rates of import duty, as well as to modify the form of duty and the tariff nomenclature, under Section 104 of the Code;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby order:

Section 1. The articles specifically listed in Annex "A" hereof, as classified under Section 104 of the Tariff and Customs Code of 1978, as amended, shall be subject to the Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) rate of import duty in accordance with the schedule indicated opposite each article.ℒαwρhi৷

Section 2. The nomenclature and the rates of import duty on tariff headings not enumerated and those listed but represented by the symbol "x x x" shall remain in force and in effect.

Section 3. Upon the effectivity of this Executive Order, all articles listed in Annex "A" except feed wheat (AHTN Heading No. 1001.90.99) which are entered and withdrawn from warehouses in the Philippines for consumption shall be levied the MFN rate of duty of zero ad valorem for six (6) months, subject to further review.

Section 4. All Presidential issuances, administrative rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are contrary to or inconsistent with this Executive Order are hereby revoked or modified accordingly.

Section 5. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately following its complete publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 10th day of July in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Nine.

(Sgd.) GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO

By the President:

(Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITAExecutive Secretary

Annex "A"

AHTN	DESCRIPTION	RATE OF DUTY (%)
10.01	Wheat and meslin.
1001.10.00	- Durum wheat	0
1001.90	- Other:
	- - Fit for human consumption:
1001.90.11	- - - X X X
1001.90.19	- - - Other	0
	- - Other:
1001.90.91	- - - XXX
1001.90.99	- - - Other	7