Trading firm denies involvement in corn smuggling cases

MANILA, Philippines–A trading firm has cried foul over allegations by a group of local corn producers and consumers about its supposed involvement in the technical smuggling of the grain which is used to make animal feed.

According to the Romulo Jacome & Baculio law firm, the accusation against its client Agri-Multicom Traders Corp. “is patently false.”

Over the past few weeks, the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. has appealed to authorities to investigate and stop what they describe as technical smuggling of at least 500,000 tons of corn from Argentina and Brazil.

In separate letters addressed Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, Customs Commissioner John Phillip P. Sevilla and Trade Undersecretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr., PhilMaize said the shipments were misdeclared as coming from Vietnam and Thailand to take advantage of lower tariffs enjoyed by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

PhilMaize president Roger V. Navarro said in the letters that the importers should have paid duties of up to 50 percent of the shipments’ value if the real countries of origin were declared.

But because the goods were supposedly coming from within Southeast Asia, they paid only 5 percent in duties.

“It is very clear in this transaction that the (supplier) Vina Commodities was issued by the government of Vietnam the certificate of origin, (the only purpose of which) is to help Philippine importers evade payment of the correct tariff,” Navarro said.

In a letter to the Inquirer, the lawyers said Agri-Multicom “vehemently denied any participation to the alleged nefarious and unlawful activities, if indeed they were true and happening.”

The lawyers said Agri-Multicom knew neither Navarro nor Vina Commodities and CDO Corn.