CeMAP records rising cement imports from Vietnam

The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines, (CeMAP) Inc said Vietnam's cement exports to the Philippines rose 17 per cent YoY to 2.51Mt in the first four months of 2021, making the Philippines the second-largest destination for Vietnam exporters.

"With a huge surplus and lower domestic demand, we will likely see a more aggressive effort from Vietnam exporters to flood the Philippine domestic market with imported cement," CeMAP Executive Director Cirilo M Pestano II said in a statement Thursday.

The Department of Trade and Industry imposed three years of safeguard duties on imported cement after concluding that the cement industry has been harmed. The measures end next year. CeMAP has been asking consumers and the construction sector to buy locally-produced cement.