CEMENT INDUSTRY CAN APPLY FOR PROTECTION FROM CHEAP IMPORTS, SAYS ITAC

On Monday
the breakfast Show spoke to the Cement Institute MD, Bryan Perrie, who said
that SA businesses were being undercut by 40-50% because of cheaper imports
from Pakistan, Vietnam, and China.

Kieno
Kammies on Tuesday spoke to the commissioner at the International Trade
Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) Meluleki Nzimande about calls
to regulate the cement industry in South Africa, in terms of tariffs on
imported cement.

The
commission ensures fair trade and controlling imports and exports with regard
to international conventions as well as environmental health safety
regulations.

Nzimande
said the cement import issue is not new.

“When
Pakistan began exporting large quantities of cement to South Africa 5 years
ago, the local industry applied to Itec for anti-dumping duties to be imposed. This
was done and the margins were quite significant and Pakistani imports reduced
significantly, said Meluleki
Nzimande.

Now that
imports are coming in from other countries such as Vietnam, the same instruments
can be implemented, he says, if it can be proved it has been brought in at
dumped prices.

The
broader ‘safe-guard’ instruments can also be used, says Nzimande, which is
protection from the world at a global level if conditions for implementation
are met.

He recommends the industry submits an application.
It takes between 10 and 12 months to implement.

Deon Kruger Senior
Lecturer in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of
Johannesburg also spoke to Kieno Kammies about the Impact of Imported cement on
major construction projects.

He discussed the
potential for the deterioration of housing and infrastructure that might have
been built with cheaper, but unregulated-quality imported cements.

He pointed out that the quality of imported cements was unevenly monitored and not subject to the controls imposed by local cements in terms of the SANS standards. They could thus be of inferior quality, putting infrastructure at risk.http://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/358250/cement-industry-can-apply-for-protection-from-cheap-imports-says-itac