THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has ordered the imposition of a safeguard duty on cement from China and Indonesia following a surge in imports.
Department Administrative Order 26-03 shown removed the two from a list of developing countries and territories exempted from duties imposed on ordinary Portland cement type 1 and blended cement.
Imports from China and Indonesia will be subject to a safeguard duty of P14 per 40-kilogram bag, or P349 per metric ton, for a period of three years.
China’s share of total imports was said to have increased to 23 percent in the first three months of 2026 from 11 percent last year, while Indonesia’s rose to 8 percent from 6 percent.
Vietnam remained the Philippines’ top cement supplier, but its share of total imports fell to 63 percent in the first quarter from 79 percent in 2025.
Cement imports reached 6.02 million metric tons in 2025 and 1.29 million metric tons in January to March 2026.
The DTI said the increase for China and Indonesia exceeded the less-than-3-percent de minimis threshold, or the value below which imports are exempt from duties, but added that the limit could change.
The imposition was welcomed by the Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, which said “the prior exclusion of China and Indonesia weakened the safeguard mechanism and gave undue advantage to their imports.”
The expanded safeguard coverage is a “long‑awaited correction,” it added.
CeMAP Executive Director Renato Baja said: “Safeguard measures are also crucial for Filipino livelihoods, national industry resilience, and the country’s long-term economic strength,” adding the country’s cement industry was continuing to struggle with low utilization rates despite significant investments.
According to Baja, domestic demand for cement reached 34 million tons in 2025, with imports totaling 6 million tons. With this, local production went down to 28 million tons.
The DTI order extended safeguards introduced in October 2025 after the Tariff Commission said there was a link between rising cement imports and injury to the domestic cement industry.
The measure took effect in February 2026 following the issuance of a Bureau of Customs (BOC) order. The latest DTI order will also become effective once the BOC issues the corresponding directive.
