Asahi Requests Government in the Philippines to Apply Safegaurd Duty on Vietnamese Glass Imports

The Asahi Glass division located in the Philippines has asked the local government to include Vietnam on its list of countries requiring safeguard duties on imported glass, the Manila Bulletin Online and ABS CBN news sites are reporting.

According to the ABS-CBN news report, Renato Ermita, president of Asahi Glass Philippines Inc., has requested the Tariff commission and Department of Trade and Industry apply the safeguard duties on all Vietnamese-imported glass as it now makes up more than the minimum 3 percent required for the duties.

Ermita has also been reported as noting that Asahi market shares are back up to 75 percent, though in the past the shares were as high as 90 percent.

"There was a reduction in glass imports after the provisional safeguard duties were imposed but this is not only because of the safeguard duty but mainly because of the depreciation of the peso against the US dollar," he said.