Despite the more than adequate supply of cement, industry players continue to be plagued by the continuing influx of imports, mostly from Vietnam.
The Cement Manufacturers Association of the Philippines (Cemap) said this is despite the imposition of dumping duties to certain manufacturers and exporters.
In a statement, Cemap said importers brought in close to 7 million tons (MT) in 2023, higher than 2022 and which is expected to rise even further as Vietnam looks towards exports to improve industry performance.
“This indicates that more imports are on their way to be dumped to the Philippines in the coming months, further causing serious injury to the already beleaguered Philippine cement industry,” Cemap said.
Local cement production is expected to reach 53 million metric tons (MT) in 2024 against demand of 34.5 million MT following investments of industry players in additional capacity totaling to 17 million MT per annum over the last five years.
Cemap and Eagle Cement Corp. in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry continue to push the Buy Local, Build Lokal campaign to prioritize local cement in private sector construction.
The campaign also encourages government to procure locally- manufactured cement for its infrastructure projects.
Government-led consumption accounts for 40 percent of total cement demand.