A LAWMAKER called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to look into the supposed dumping of imported paper products in the country, which has impacted the local paper manufacturing sector.
“Our local paper producers are greatly affected by importation of papers at undervalued prices by traders and possible violation of anti-dumping measures,” House Deputy Majority Leader Jose Teves Jr. said during the House appropriations committee hearing on the proposed P7.909 billion budget of the DTI and its attached agencies next year.
Dumping occurs when an imported product is being sold at a lower price compared to its country of origin.
“For example, the price of imported corrugated medium is $390 per ton, samantalang ang presyo nito sa country of origin katulad ng Vietnam at China ay $450 or $480 per ton,” Teves said.
The lawmaker said local paper products manufacturers have been shutting down operations because of the surge in imports.
“According to the Paper Manufacturing Association, tumaas po ang rate ng importation ng paper for the first half of 2023… If shutdowns remain, maari po itong magresulta ng massive layoffs ng libong empleyado ng mga paper manufacturers sa pagkalugi,” Teves said.
The lawmaker asked what the DTI can do to help the local paper industry.
In response, Trade secretary Alfredo Pascual said the DTI is open to have a dialogue with local paper associations.
For his part, DTI undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo agreed with Teves’ “observations.”
“We fully agree with your observation. Meron nga pong dumping na nangyayari sa paper industry coming from foreign countries,” Rodolfo said.
“In fact, we were able to impose an anti-dumping duty on paper for 10 years… safeguard duty on paper kaya lang nag-lapse na nung 2018. So one year naman ang kailangan hintayin before the industry can file for relevant trade duties including anti-dumping duties,” he added.
Pascual added that the DTI is imposing safeguard duties to protect the local industry from dumping.
“‘Yan po ang ginagawa ng DTI para proteksyunan ang local industry by way of tariff, anti dumping [duty] or similar source of protection,” the Trade chief said. (GMA Integrated News)
