The Customs Commission of the Philippines said that 53% of total cement imports from July 2019 to December 2020 were products originating from Vietnam at dumped prices.

The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has just decided to impose anti-dumping duties on cement imported from Vietnam. Philippine Commerce Secretary Alfredo E Pascual said the dumping of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Mixed Cement from Vietnam posed a “potential threat of physical injury to the domestic cement industry.”, according to BusinessWorld.

Whereby, cement from Vietnam will be subject to tariffs ranging from 4-28% of the export price for OPC cement and 3-55% for mixed cement. DTI also identified 11 Vietnamese cement companies that will be subject to anti-dumping duties.

The move by the Philippines comes after DTI reviewed the final report of the Tariff Commission related to its investigation into alleged dumping of cement imported from Vietnam. The lawsuit was filed by the cement companies of the Philippines.

Previously, the Customs Commission of the Philippines ordered the imposition of anti-dumping duties on cement imported from Vietnam. The temporary anti-dumping tax imposed on cement imported from Vietnam between December 2021 and October this year has driven prices higher.

In its report, the committee noted that domestically produced cement products are similar to those imported from Vietnam.

The commission said that 53% of total cement imports from July 2019 to December 2020 were products originating from Vietnam at dumped prices.

The DTI said the decision will take effect after the deadline for filing a reconsideration request.

Import volume of OPC and Mixed Cement from Vietnam to the Philippines increased 11% year-on-year to 5.90 million tons in 2020 and increased 16.2% to 6.85 million tons in 2021. Imports increased 7% year-on-year to 3.50 million tons in the first half of 2022 compared to an average of 3.27 million tons in the same period in 2019, 2020 and 2021.