MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs confiscated on Wednesday, March 19 P24 million worth of smuggled steel products at the Port of Manila.
The bureau said it seized 26 container vans filled with specialized alloy-coated steel at the port of Manila. The container vans arrived on Nov. 12, 2013 and were consigned to Manila-based trading firm Copperfield Marketing.
In its import documents, Copperfield Marketing declared that the 26 20-foot container vans with an actual weight of 587,800 kilograms contained “hot rolled steel in coils,” with zero percent duty.
However, upon inspection, Customs personnel discovered that the vans actually contained “prime hot-dipped 55% al-zinc alloy-coated steel in coils,” which should have carried a 10% tariff.
“This is a clear case of misdeclaring and misclassifying imported products to avoid paying higher duties and taxes. The mere act of misdeclaring a shipment is fraud. We are going to hold the importer, Copperfield Marketing, liable for these violations,” said Deputy Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno of the BOC’s Enforcement Group.
Copperfield Marketing was one of the 70 importers suspended by Customs last March 5 for repeated violations of Customs policies and procedures in filing import documents.
“Copperfield Marketing will be subjected to further investigation. We have to check if the steel they imported was tested and certified by the Bureau of Product Standards,” Nepomuceno added.
Government made product certification for steel products mandatory following the unabated entry of cheap, substandard steel products in the market. Substandard products not only harm local steel manufacturers, but are the cause of damage to various structures, posing risks to public safety. – Rappler.com
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