DTI slaps duties on imported cement

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has slapped a provisional safeguard duty of P400 per metric ton on two types of imported cement that it believes to be harming the local industry.

In an order published on Monday, the DTI said it decided to impose the cash bond following the safeguards investigation covering ordinary Portland cement and blended cement that entered the Philippines from 2019 to June 2024.

The DTI said that its preliminary investigation had found a “causal link” between the increased imports of these cement types and serious injury to the domestic industry.

READ: FPI backs gov’t move to investigate cement imports

“The increased volume of imports, both in absolute terms and relative to domestic production, was found to be the substantial cause of the overall impairment in the local industry,” the DTI said in its Department Administrative Order No. 25-01 series of 2025.

As a remedy, the DTI said it would impose the cash bond on imported cement while the case is being deliberated on by the Tariff Commission.

The duty will take effect for 200 days after the Bureau of Customs issues the enabling order.

Vietnam, Indonesia

Almost all of the imported cement entering the country comes from Vietnam, which accounts for 93 percent of the volume, followed by Indonesia with a 5-percent share.

The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines Inc. (Cemap) has lauded the DTI’s decision., saying it would be a big help to the industry.

“The various stakeholders of Cemap’s member companies appreciate the support for the continued modernization and expansion of the Philippine cement industry,” the group said in a statement.

“Through the imposition of [the] safeguard measure, the local manufacturers are supported by the government, also its employees, both existing and potential, and the overall economy of the Philippines,” it added. INQ