THE Tariff Commission (TC) said anti-dumping duties will continue to be imposed on imports of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) Type 1 and blended cement Type 1P from Vietnam.
“There is a need for the continued imposition of anti-dumping duty to protect the domestic cement industry against dumping, which is causing an imminent threat of material injury to the industry,” the commission said in a notice dated Aug. 20.
It said that the duty “shall remain in force for the remaining period of its original 5-year imposition to counteract the continuous existence of dumping that is threatening to cause material injury to the domestic cement industry.”
However, it modified the duty to $4.03 per metric ton (/MT) or 10.16% of the export price for Vissai Ninh Binh JSC and $0.82/MT or 2.12% of the export price for NCL Trading Joint Stock Co.
Meanwhile, the commission retained the anti-dumping duty for the other exporters listed in the Department of Trade and Industry’s Administrative Order No. 23-01.
The commission found that dumping continues despite the imposition of the anti-dumping duty.
“The imposition of anti-dumping duty achieved its intended results by preventing and/or alleviating the dumping,” it said.
However, it said that it “did not completely deter dumping since the circumstances with respect to dumping have not changed significantly.”
During the period of investigation, the commission said imports priced below their normal value continued to enter the country.
“Imports of OPC Type 1 and Blended Cement Type 1P subject to anti-dumping duty, while declining from 2022 to 2024 and thus indicative that the duty is deterring and alleviating dumping, continued to enter the Philippines in volumes that were likewise not negligible,” it added.
In its final report, the commission said import volumes of the OPC Type 1 and blended cement Type 1P remained sizable, with dumped imports’ annual share recorded at 20% in the first quarter.
It warned that lifting the anti-dumping duty will exacerbate the situation, with the Philippines being Vietnam’s second-largest export market between 2021 and March 2025.
“The Philippines’ open market, geographical proximity to Vietnam, and status as a top export market with established distribution channels, combined with Vietnam being the top foreign supplier of cement to the robust Philippine market, will encourage continuation or recurrence of dumping once the anti-dumping duty is lifted,” it said.
“If the duty is lifted, it is likely that those Vietnamese exporters that had exited the Philippine market due to their inability to compete at their normal prices would resume their dumping of subject cement products,” it added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile