The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has received industry backing to establish safeguards to protect local producers against the rising levels of cement imports in the Philippines.

The Cement Manufacturers' Association of the Philippines (CeMAP) supports the safeguards, reporting that cement imports reached 3.4Mt in the first 3Q18. State-owned and subsidised Vietnamese cement producers are stunting opportunities for growth for local Philippine cement manufacturers, according to CeMAP.

Domestic cement capacity is approximately 34.5Mta, which is sufficient to meet Philippine cement consumption of 32.5Mt.

Cirilo Pestano, executive director of CeMAP, says: "Based on our studies, local production is able to keep up with demand, but we are also taking steps to future-proof. Building cement plants, however, usually takes about three years. During such time, we rely on safeguards established by the DTI to ensure that cheap and low-quality imports are not dumped in the country."