The Tariff Commission (TC) has extended for another 3 years the anti-dumping duty on imported Turkish flour at higher rates than those previously imposed.
The first dumping duty imposition made in 2015 was to expire in January this year. The TC conducted an investigation for 16 months already to assess whether the anti-dumping duty needed an extension or not, but was unable to complete the probe. As such, the TC has decided to extend the anti-dumping duty pending the completion of the investigation.
The TC decision is posted on its website showed it imposed higher new dumping tariff rates than those previously imposed. The highest dumping rate was of 29.57 percent against the previous highest penalty of 16.19 percent dumping duty. This dumping penalty is in addition to the present 7 percent import duty on flour.
The Philippine Association of Flour Millers (PAFMIL) which filed the petition to review the expiring 2015 - 2020 dumping imposition on Turkish flour welcomed the TC decision as a victory for fair trade and lauded the TC review process as one that is just and fair.
Before coming up with the decision, the TC sent an investigative team to Turkey and visited flour mills exporting to the Philippines. PAFMIL member companies were also inspected by the TC and its production, financial and sales records reviewed.
PAFMIL was represented by the law firm Britanico, Sarmiento and Ringler Law Offices.
The Philippines has 22 flour mills producing in excess of 80 million bags of flour annually. Seven of these mills are members of PAFMIL. These are: Philippine Flour Mills, Liberty Flour Mills, Wellington Flour Mills, RFM Corporation, General Milling Corporation, Universal Robina Corporation and Pilmico Foods Corporation. Four mills belong to the Chamber of Philippine Flour Millers (Champflour). These are San Miguel Mills, Philippine Foremost Milling Corporation, Morning Star Milling Corporation and Delta Milling Corporation.
The other mills are Monde Nissin Corporation, Mabuhay Interflour Mills Inc., Atlantic Flour Mills, Agri Pacific Flour Mills, Asian Grains Inc., Crown Asia Milling Corporation, Great Earth Milling Corporation, New Hope Milling Corporation, North Star Milling Corporation, Big C Agri Millers, California Flour Mill Group Inc. PAFMIL Executive Director Ric Pinca said the TC investigation was caught up by the pandemic. But prior to the pandemic, Turkish exporters also asked for delay due to Ramadan and other reasons.