US tariffs seen making PHL a target for dumped goods

THE GOVERNMENT needs to be ready to protect and support Philippine industries should the Trump tariffs trigger a wave of dumping by foreign exporters locked out of the US market, a business chamber said.

“We have to boost our manufacturing. If our employees are being laid off, our economy will suffer. We have to promote buying local products,” Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) President Victor Lim told reporters on Friday.

“Because of the US tariffs, a lot of cheap products will be dumped here because (their producers) cannot sell (to the US),” he added.

He said that although dumped goods may lower prices, they could lead to job losses.

“Our inflation rate will go down. But the next problem will be our employment because many will be laid off due to companies shutting down,” he said.

“We have to protect our local industry. If there’s dumping, they have to charge a dumping duty; (otherwise,) those products will be dumped here,” he added.

He said the government should also improve ease of doing business and law and order.

“Actually, we want to promote business. And we have these tax and labor laws, which we have to improve to make doing business easier,” he said, noting that business and fire inspection permits remain difficult to obtain.

“Sometimes the fire department does not want to issue a permit because of the lack of a sprinkler system and fire alarm. With some old structures, you cannot put in a sprinkler system, and in some industries you don’t need the sprinkler system,” he added.

He said that the criminal cases tend to scare businesses away, including members of the FFCCCII.

He also cited the killing of abducted businessmen as a drag on investment.

“We immediately met with the Philippine National Police chief… and we put up a complaint in a newspaper about these kidnapping cases,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile