Coal, mineral products top imports: BOC

Sunstar Cebu

COAL and mineral products were the most imported commodities at the Port of Cebu, the Bureau of Customs reported.

In terms of volume, coal was the top imported commodity while minerals were the top import in terms of value.

From January to September this year, the BOC Port of Cebu recorded the importation of 917.2 million kilos of coal worth P4.1 billion.

But mineral products such as salt and ore were imported at a value of P11.9 billion with a volume of 96 million kilos.

Also listed as some of the top imports are steel, petrol products, fertilizers, long grain rice, articles of stone, feeds, wheat and millet, machinery and mechanical appliances, plastic and rubber articles, and vehicles parts and accessories.

For the given period, Cebu Energy Development Corp. was identified as the top importer, as it paid P516.6 million to the BOC. It accounted for 9.847 percent of the BOC’s collection.

Next on the list is Seaoil Philippines Inc., accounting for 7.211 percent or P378.3 million.

Following Seaoil is SteelAsia Manufacturing Corp., which made up three percent or P184.9 million.

Kepco SPC Power Corp. and Carmen Copper Corp. followed, earning for the BOC P172.5 million and P162.6 million, respectively.

Petronas Energy Phils. Inc. contributed P91 million while Taiheyo Cement Phils. Inc. contributed P90 million. Tridharma Marketing Corp. contributed P86 million and Galvaphil Inc. contributed P78.5 million. All four companies made up a little over one percent of the BOC’s collection.

Earlier, Cebu District Collector Ronnie Silvestre admitted they may not be able to meet their collection target by the end of the year after their targets were raised.

One of the factors he noted was the lessening of the imports.

He noted that in 2009, power plants imported capital equipment, raising their collection to P1 billion from three power plants.

But this year, for the same period, they were only able to collect P714 million from the three power plants.

Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on November 04, 2010.