Tariff body sets hearings on testliner board

MANILA, Philippines - The Tariff Commission will hold consultations with stakeholders next week to determine if it can extend the safeguard measure on imported testliner boards beyond June this year.

The Tariff Commission said in a notice posted on its website it has scheduled public hearings from April 1 to 5 on the safeguard measure on testliner boards.

“The parties are required to submit to the Commission within five calendar days before the first day of the public hearing, a list of issues they want to explore in the public hearing other than the issues on product comparability and volume of increased imports,” it said.

The public hearing is being held following a petition filed by the Philippine Paper Manufacturers Association Inc. seeking extension of the safeguard measure against the importation of testliner boards.

The petition was filed by the group citing the threat posed by the import of such products to local players.

Testliner boards, which are usually made of recycled paper, are used to produce corrugated boxes for the packaging of consumer products.

The safeguard measure introduced in July 2011 seeks to help local players adjust to competition coming from imports.

Based on the Tariff Commission’s recommendation, a duty of P1,342.00 per metric ton was imposed during the first year of implementation.

According to the 2011 order for testliner boards, the safeguard measure would be imposed for three years.

The measure would be liberalized on the second and third year of implementation following an annual review.

In May last year, the Trade department approved the reduction of duties on imported testliner boards at P1,274.90 per metric tons for the period of April to June 12, 2012 and P1,211.15 per metric ton from June 13, 2012 to June 14, 2013.

Under Republic Act 8800 or the Safeguard Measures Act and the World Trade Organization, safeguard measures are permitted in cases of import surge of like or directly competitive import products that threaten the domestic industry.