Knauf Gypsum Philippines Inc., manufacturer of gypsum boards, said dumping from imports from Thailand continues to threaten the industry, especially with the impending opening of a new facility that would boost that country’s capacity, forcing it to look for export markets such as the Philippines.
“We have reason to believe that the threat (of dumping from Thailand) will continue. We have reason to believe that it will continuously cause material injury into the domestic industry,” said Mark Sergio, managing director of Knauf Philippines, in Monday’s public hearing of the Tariff Commission on the determination of the merits of imposing a definitive anti-dumping duty against importations of gypsum board from Thailand.
In her order dated Nov. 5, 2024, Secretary Cristina Roque of the Department of Trade and Industry imposed provisional dumping measures on Thailand’s gypsum board with thicknesses of 9 millimeters (mm) and 12mm after the agency found that products are being dumped into the country.
In his presentation at the hearing, Sergio said imports from Thailand rose 41 percent between 2022 and 2024, while local production declined 30 percent in the same period, without giving the figures.
Thailand’s capacity utilization of its gypsum board products has deteriorated in recent years, ending 2024 at 57 percent, driving manufacturers to export to improve utilization, Sergio added.
“Last year, Thailand has also seen an impact in terms of their utilization capacity. The Philippines is one of the major destinations, or major markets, where Thailand export gypsum boards to,” Sergio said.
