Displaying items by tag: smuggling

Cameroon: Two cement trucks masquerading as belonging to a United Nations agency have been seized by customs officials. The smugglers were pretending to be transporting food and pharmaceutical products in transit to Chad, according the Ecofin Agency. The cement is believed to have originated from Nigeria. The operation by customs authorities was part of the ongoing Halcomi (halte au commerce illicite) initiative.

Philippines: Chief executives from Eagle Cement, Taiheiyo Cement Philippines, Republic Cement, Cemex Philippines and Mabuhay Filcement have opposed government plans for a minimum requirement of pre-shipment inspection for cement imports. Instead they have called for a rigorous testing procedure for all cement coming from abroad to ensure consumer safety, according to the Philippine Star newspaper. In a letter Paul Ang, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Eagle Cement asked the government to draw up revised rules and guidelines on the issue for the cement industry. He also requested that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and other agencies combat technical smuggling of cement.

In separate letters to the DTI, Taiheiyo Cement Philippines president and CEO Satoshi Asabi, Mabuhay Filcement CEO Enrison Benedicto, incoming Republic Cement president Nabil Francis and Cemex Philippines president Ignacio Mijares also argued against pre-shipment inspection in favour of testing imports upon arrival in the country.

Cameroon: Cement illegally smuggled across the border from Nigeria to northern Cameroon has lowered the price of cement by 20% in the north of the country. Dangote branded cement is allegedly being smuggled into the country despite a ban on imports, according to the Business in Cameroon journal. The situation is causing a price disparity of up to 40% between the north and the south of the country. Cameroon restricted imports of cement following the construction of new plants.

Philippines: The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines has warned that so-called ‘technical’ smuggling is on the rise. CEMAP president Ernesto Ordoñez claimed that the declared freight costs for nine out of 12 imported cement shipments that it inspected were undervalued at only US$3 – 10/t. These compared to the average freight costs of US$19/t for shipments from Vietnam or China. He added that the difference in the freight costs meant that the government could be losing at least US$175,000 in value added tax (VAT), according to the Philippines Daily Inquirer.

Based on the sample, Ordoñez estimates about 75% of the 161,000t of imported cement that entered the country in the first quarter of the 2016 were technically smuggled. CEMAP have called for inspection of other shipments that entered the country in last quarter of 2015 and in the first quarter of 2016. They added that unchecked smuggling might lead to violations such as cement misclassification and substandard cement that in turn might endanger public safety.

CEMAP data shows that imports of cement grew from 4000t in 2014 to 314,000t in 2015. Cement imports of 161,000t were recorded for the quarter of 2016.

Malawi: The government of Malawi has defended its decision to introduce licences for cement importers saying there is no ban on importing the building material. Ministry of Industry and Trade spokesperson, Wiskes Mkombezi said that the government was issuing the licences to protect consumers in a monopolised local industry and to prevent smuggling. He added that the licences were to regulate and bring ‘sanity’ to the industry according to All Africa.

Local cement producers have complained about the import licences. Directors with Cement Products Limited and Lafarge have claimed that imports of cement are threatening local jobs in the country.

Malawi: Malawi has relaxed its ban on importing cement, to prevent local consumers being exploited. The price of cement in the southern region where cement is produced locally is higher than the central region where cement is imported from Zambia. The Ministry of Trade and Industry has issued licenses to some importers to enhance competition on the market, according to All Africa.

"The ministry will always commit itself to fight smuggling and give strong support to all stakeholders such as Malawi Revenue Authority and the Malawi Police Service in this fight," said Ministry of Industry and Trade spokesperson, Wiskes Mkombezi. The ministry is encouraging importers to pay import duty and has asked the public to help combat smugglers. The country introduced licenses for cement importers in early 2000 to regulate the local market and promote the local industry.