Thailand looks to Philippines for exports

The Philippines government has decided not to extend a tax on imports of cement. The levy on imported cement was first introduced on 22 October 2019 for three years. In the first year the tax was PHP250/t (US$4.5/t), which then fell to PHP245/t in the second year and PHP200/t in the third year.

With the tax due to expire on 21 October 2022, the Philippine Tariff Commission began an enquiry in February this year as to whether the tax should be extended or not. According to rules set out by the World Trade Organisation, the levy could have been extended for another seven years.

The decision to end the tax has prompted Thailand-based cement producers to consider the Philippines as a destination for its cement exports. According to a report in The Nation Thailand, in the opening nine months of 2022 Thailand exported 1.67Mt of cement, mainly to Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia. Exports were rarely sent to the Philippines due to the tax.

The Philippines imports around 4Mt of cement each year, primarily from Vietnam, but demand is forecast to expand as the country’s property market and economy continue to grow.