Complaints filed vs cement from Vietnam

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has imposed provisional anti-dumping duties on specific Portland cement brands imported from Vietnam.

In a statement on Sunday, the DTI said the decision was made after conducting a preliminary determination on the anti-dumping petition filed by Republic Cement and Building Materials Inc. (RCBM), CEMEX–Solid Cement Corp./Apo Cement Corp., and Holcim Philippines Inc.

DTI said the preliminary determination showed that 9 out of 16 Vietnamese exporters of Type 1 cement and four out of 12 exporters of Type 1P cement have been dumping cement in the country, causing material injury to the domestic cement industry.

According to DTI, findings showed that during the investigation period, dumped cement imports from Vietnam accounted for 55 percent of total Philippine imports from July 2019 to December 2020. Provisional anti-dumping duties on Type 1 cement will range from $1.02 per metric ton to $10.53 per metric ton, or 2.69 percent to 31.87 percent of the export price.

The nine exporters account for 82 percent of total imports of Type 1 cement.

DTI said the provisional anti-dumping duties on Vietnam's Type 1P cement exports, meanwhile, will range from $1.16 per metric ton (MT) to $12.79/MT, or 3.8 percent to 29.20 percent of the export price.

These provisional duties are estimated to add P2.01 to P25.08 to the import cost of a 40-kilogram of cement.

"We do not anticipate that these duties will result in an increase in the retail price of cement because its effect on landed cost is minimal. Any price increases in imported cement will be discouraged by competition from domestic cement producers," said Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez. "The provisional anti-dumping duties will be imposed only on specific Vietnamese exporters found to be dumping cement to the Philippines. Vietnamese exporters who are not dumping can continue to export cement without having to post the provisional anti-dumping cash bond," he added. Dumping occurs when exporters sell their products to an importing country at a price lower than its normal value when consumed in their home market.

Source: TheManila Times