The Philippine Parts Makers Association (PPMA) is poised to file a petition seeking the imposition of safeguard duties in the form of additional tariffs on imported vehicles, according to Rommel Juan, group vice president.
In an interview Sunday, February 2, Juan said the group is readying various programs to revive the industry, including a proposal to slap additional duties on imported vehicles which, he said, now account for 65 percent of total sales, without indicating any numbers.
But according to Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. chairman Alfred Ty, total sales last year stood at 474,000 units. By Juan’s estimate, that is equivalent to about 308,100 units.
In a statement Saturday, February 1, PPMA president Ferdinand Raquelsantos said the group is pushing for the safeguard measure despite the unsuccessful similar attempt in 2021 of the Philippine Metalworkers Association, petitioner at the time.
Raquelsantos said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) imposed provisional duties that targeted a 35 percent year-on-year import surge but was rejected by the Tariff Commission due to “insufficient injury evidence.”
“The intent was right, but the execution lacked teeth. The 2021 safeguards were a wake-up call. In 2025, we must learn from their shortcomings and finally secure our industry’s future,” Raquelsantos said.
PPMA urged the DTI to adopt critical reforms, starting with stricter safeguards such as tariffs on high-volume imports like electric vehicle components.
“Equally vital is real-time trade monitoring to combat predatory pricing,” Raquelsantos said.
PPMA earlier proposed the imposition of a domestic content for Philippine-assembled vehicles to encourage the growth of local parts making.
