BOC reimposes safeguard duty on cement imports

The Bureau of Customs is imposing anew a safeguard duty on gray portland cement imports excepts those that originate from a developing country if its share to total Philippine imports of the product is less than three percent.

Customs Commissioner Antonio Bernardo said the reimposition of the duty was made after the Court of Appeals denied the petition of the Philippine Cement Corp. questioning the decision of the Department of Trade and Industry to impose a levy on the importation of the product.

A definitive safeguard duty in the amount of P20 per 40-kg. bag will be reimposed for three years on gray portland cement.

"The first year of the implementation of the definitive safeguard measure shall include the period in which the provisional safeguard duty took effect i.e Dec. 10, 2001, the date of the issuance of Customs memorandum order no. 30, 2001," Bernardo said.

Exempted from the duty are importations from developing countries with less than three percent share of the total Philippine imports of the specified gray portland cement.

However, imports originating from ASEAN member states shall be governed by the provisions of the CEPT scheme.

The DTI said the imposition of the levy is justified after establishing that the increased importation of gray portland cement is a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry.