Displaying items by tag: Import

Guyana: Concrete manufacturer KSM is taking legal action against the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for over valuing the cost of cement imports. It alleges that the GRA charged it US$16.6m too much for five shipments between January and March 2019, according to the Stabroek News newspaper.

It grew its imports from 2015 to 2018 and it imported 24,480t of cement from Domicem in the Dominican Republic in 2018. However, KSM says that the GRA increased the declared value of cement by over 40% in the second half of 2018 without offering any ‘reasonable or justifiable grounds’ for so doing. KSM says it imported its shipments in 2019 at the lower rate and this was approved by customs. The GRA then demanded the shortfall from KSM in May 2019.

Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP) says it is confident that the Tariff Commission will increase the duty on imported cement on a permanent basis. In a statement Cirilo M Pestaño II, CEMAP’s executive director, noted that the commission had observed a rise in import volumes since 2016, according to the Manila Bulletin newspaper. He said that the association was confident that the commission would issue a, “ruling consistent with the national interest.” The association added that imports might be good for consumers in the short-term but they were bad for everyone beyond this due to lost economic earnings and reduced industrial production capacity.

Armenia/Iran: The Armenian parliament has approved a tariff of US$29/t on imported cement from Iran. A previous attempt to pass the bill was blocked in April 2019, according to the Armenpress News Agency. During the recent vote construction workers demonstrated outside the parliament building warning that prices could price as a result of the new duty.

Belarus/Moldova/Russia/Ukraine: Tariffs on on imported building materials from Belarus, Moldova and Russia imposed by the Ukrainian government will start on 26 June 2019, according to Interfax. The interdepartmental commission for international trade has set duties of 115% for goods originating in Russia, 57% for goods from Belarus and 94% for goods from Moldova.

Philippines: Cement producers say that if the government does not implement a permanent safeguard duty on cement imports they may reconsider investment plans to upgrade their plants. Representatives of Taiheyo Cement, Republic Cement, Holcim and Cemex made the comments at public hearings by the Tariff Commission, according to the Philippine Star newspaper. The commission is conducting an investigation to determine whether the provisional safeguard duty imposed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on cement imports should be kept.

During the hearings, Cirilo Pestaño II the executive director of the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CEMAP), lobbied the government to impose a higher ‘definitive’ safeguard duty. He said that imports of cement rose by 64% year-on-year to 1.74Mt in the first quarter of 2019 from 1.06Mt in the same period in 2018 despite the provisional safeguard measure being in place.

Belarus/Moldova/Russia/Ukraine: The Ukrainian interdepartmental commission for international trade has imposed antidumping tariffs on imported clinker and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) from Russia, Belarus and Moldova. It has set duties of 115% for goods originating in Russia, 57% for goods from Belarus and 94% for goods from Moldova, according to Interfax. The tariffs will have a duration of five years. Previously the government had embargoed OPC, alumina, slag, sulphate-resistant cement and similar hydraulic cements, including clinkers, from Russia.

Philippines: Data from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shows that imports of cement rose by 64% year-on-year to 1.74Mt in the first quarter of 2019 despite the introduction of a 4% tariff in January 2019. Imports were 1.06Mt in the same period in 2018, according to the Philippines News Agency. The production capacity utilisation factor of local producers is also reported to have fallen. The DTI says it will continue to monitor the situation.

Ukraine/Russia: The Ukrainian government has imposed an embargo on Russian-manufactured cement and plywood in response to Russia’s ban on the entry of Ukrainian goods to the Russian market. The Ukrainian Economic Development and Trade Ministry recommended to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine that imports be blocked for the following goods: Portland cement, calcium aluminate cement, slag cement, sulphate resistant cement and similar hydraulic cement varieties, pigmented and non-pigmented, finished or clinker, as well as glue wood, lamwood panels and similar materials made from laminated wood.

Ukraine imported an estimated US$17m worth of cement products from Russia in 2018. The latest sanctions follow a block by Russia on goods from Ukraine in mid-April 2019.

China/US: The Chinese Ministry of Finance has increased tariffs on selected US goods, including cement, to 25% with effect from 1 June 2019. It said it took the action in response to escalating US tariffs in May 2019. The new Chinese tariffs range from 10% to 25% and include clinker, white cement, other Portland cements, other hydraulic cement, refractory cement, additives for cement, plaster and concrete, limestone, quicklime, slaked lime, gypsum, refractory products and cement packaging machinery.

Ghana: The Cement Manufacturers Association of Ghana (CMAG) and representatives of other industries including steel and food have petitioned the Ghana International Trade Commission to protect them from ‘unfair’ trade practices. They have asked the government to follow World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and match export rebates with additional tariffs, according to the Ghanaian Times newspaper. CMAG secretary said that the local cement industry had a production capacity of 11.6Mt/yr and that this was enough to meet local demand.