he Department of Trade and Industry said that is imposing a P14/ 40kg bag or P349/metric ton temporary tariff on cements from China and Indonesia as imports from these countries rise to an 11 percent and 6 percent market share, respectively.
The safeguard is imposed as China and Indonesia imports exceeded the 3 percent “de minimis” threshold for import, as outlined in its Department Administrative Order 25-15 issued on October 25, 2025, which authorizes the safeguard duty and provides for exemptions for imports from developing countries, the DTI declared.
The agency said data from January to December of last year showed that China import reached 11 percent and 6 percent of the market.
In the January to March 2026, the data import from the two countries, meanwhile, amounted to 23 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
This resulted in China and Indonesia being removed from countries that are exempted from coverage of DAO 25-15, the DTI said.
The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (CeMAP), in a statement Tuesday, lauded the decision.
“CeMAP emphasized that the prior exclusion of China and Indonesia weakened the safeguard mechanism and gave undue advantage to their imports,” it said.
The expanded coverage, CeMAP stressed, is a long‑awaited correction that restores fairness, strengthens local manufacturing, and protects Filipino jobs.
“The Philippine cement industry continues to struggle with low utilization rates of just 53%, despite significant investments and a total installed capacity of 53 million tons. In 2025, demand consumption was estimated at 34 million tons, of which 6 million tons supplied by imports, forcing domestic production down to 28 million tons,” claimed Renato Baja, CeMAP executive director.
Source: https://malaya.com.ph/business/corporate/dti-slaps-duties-on-cement-imports-from-china-indonesia-to-protect-local-industry/#:~:text=9%253A23%2520PM-,Share,-%E2%96%B6
