Glass importers laud BOC

Downstream glass fabricators/importers have cited the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for its vigilance in detecting and detering the misdeclaration of duties for imported clear float glass.

The group also hailed the BOC for having correctly assessed and ably collected penalties for some 400 metric tons of glass products brought into the country from January to May this year.

But contrary to dumping alleged by Japan-backed Asahi Glass Philippines (AGP), the BOC’s speedy action on misdeclared imported glass goods stopped any form of dumping to take place.

In a recent newspaper report, AGP accused glass fabricators and importers of dumping by trying to elude the 14-percent to 24-percent anti-dumping duty on imported clear float glass from Indonesia and Malaysia. The regular import duty is five percent.

The fabricators/importers, who are members of the Philippine Chamber of Glass and Aluminum Industries, Inc. (PCGAII) which has consistently opposed AGP’s position for an increase in tariff and quota covered restrictions on all imported glass and mirror products, said dumping could not have occurred as glass imports from the two Asean neighbors were assessed and paid for properly before these were released for domestic use.

When these products reach the market, they are sold at prices lower than those drawn up and imposed by AGP without sacrificing design and quality, the group said.

The PCGAII called on AGP to stop attempting to maintain its monopoly over the glass industry and eliminating emerging small and medium enterprises (SME) from pursuing a competitive and level playing field.

AGP has been using the dumping excuse as it asked the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to further increase to 50 percent the tariff on clear float glass, a move that if approved, would mean the demise of hundreds of SMEs employing some 50,000 people. The efficiency of the BOC to curb any misdeclaration or underevaluation, if any, of imported glass products has eliminated any need to raise tariff levels, the local fabricators/importers said.