Business World Online reported that Philippines Bureau of Customs is set to enforce an order of the Department of Trade and Industry that slaps an additional duty on imported steel angle bars.

The bureau yesterday published in newspapers Memorandum Order 42-2009 which provides for "general safeguard duty" on the importation of steel angle bars of a height of less than 80 mm.

The BoC order enforces a fiat signed by Trade Secretary Mr Peter B Favila last July 27.

Mr Napoleon L Morales Customs Commissioner said in a telephone interview that ‘We will implement the DTI order. The fees imposed by the order will level the playing field and will protect the local industry.’

The measure will take effect upon the issuance by the BoC of a relevant memorandum order.

The order covers importation of steel bars for three years. An amount of PHP 7,700 per tonne will be slapped on equal and unequal leg steel angle bars imported from countries like China.

The duty will not apply to steel bars from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Israel, Jordan, Hungary, India, Timor-Leste, Estonia, and various African countries whose volumes account less than 3% of total Philippine imports of the product.

(Sourced from bworldonline.com)