The Philippine Iron and Steel Institute asked newly-designated Customs commissioner Nicanor Faeldon to look into the case of 5,000 metric tons of deformed steel bars imported by Mannage Resources Trading Corp. in April.
Pisi president Roberto Cola said in a letter to Faeldon the shipment was misdeclared and undervalued, as Mannage allegedly used a tariff heading in its import entry declaration that was not for rebars.
Cola said Mannage used tariff heading 72.28.30.90 which had a Customs reference value of $340 per ton. However, the BOC reference value was $380 per ton for carbon rebar and $410 per ton for alloy rebar, he said.
He said Mannage’s misdeclared tariff heading and corresponding value of $330 per ton represented a loss for the government of up to P2.25 million in taxes.