Local cement manufacturers lauded the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for bolstering the Philippine manufacturing sector through its enforcement action against non-compliant cement importers.
The Department of Trade and Industry said its Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS) suspended the permit and issued a show cause order to Newgate Import Export Corp., relative to their importation of blended hydraulic cement under Bill of Lading No. N23.2/23.
The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP) said the recent action of the DTI-BPS sends a resounding message that non-compliance and unfair trade practices would not be tolerated. It said the suspension was made after the DTI’s action in Iloilo to conduct an intensified monitoring of cement imports coming in to the country.
“The impact of the DTI’s actions extend beyond the cement industry itself. A strong and competitive local cement sector is vital in supporting the Philippines’ continued infrastructure development and economic growth,” CEMAP said in a statement.
CEMAP said it has been sounding alarms about the excessive and unfairly priced volume of cement importation that heavily harms the already beleaguered local cement industry.
It said local manufacturers invested billions in ensuring local construction and cement products meet the highest quality and safety standards, as mandated by Philippine regulations.
The cement manufacturing sector generates more than 1 percent of the gross domestic product, providing 130,000 direct and indirect jobs to Filipinos across various sectors.
CEMAP said the influx of substandard, carbon-intensive cement products from cement importers had undermined the industry’s progress, creating an uneven playing field, stifling economic growth and endangering countless livelihoods and end-users.
