Skip to main content

Israel set to impose levies on cement imports

Published by , Editor
World Cement,


The Israeli Commissioner for Trade Levies, Danny Tal, is to recommend dumping duties be enacted at varying rates on imports of cement from Turkey and Greece. According to a recent news report in the Israeli Globes newspaper, the duties will cover cement produced by nine different producers and vary between 7% and 20%.

The recommendation follows a lengthy investigation by Tal, after a complaint by Israeli cement producers, Cement Har-Tuv. Har-Tuv’s action was supported by fellow cement producer Nesher.

The Israeli companies have lost out as cheaper imports have undermined their market dominance. Har-Tuv had warned that continued inaction by the Israeli government against cement imports would result in the closure of its factory.

"We welcome the decision to protect the local industry from illegal imports and to maintain the industry and fair competition over time, and we hope that the recommendation will be adopted and implemented by all relevant levels as soon as possible," Har-Tuv said in response to the proposed duties.

The Israeli Manufacturers Association also welcomed the news, adding that dumping investigations should now be held in the steel, plastics, and other sectors "in which there is a real suspicion of unfair trade."

The move was criticised by cement importors, however, who said it would cost the Israeli public NIS1.5 billion annually in higher construction costs. “"Last time, an anti-dumping levy for cement [was implemented] prices of cement in Israel surged, and the cost to the Israeli economy was estimated at billions of shekels. It took 12 years to recover from this,” said importer, IMS.

The implementation of the recommendations will now pass to the ministers of finance and economics, Eli Cohen and Moshe Kahlon, for approval.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/africa-middle-east/30082018/israel-set-to-impose-levies-of-cement-imports/

You might also like

 
 

Embed article link: (copy the HTML code below):


 

This article has been tagged under the following:

Cement shipping news