THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it imposed new rules covering the product safety (PS) certification of certain steel bar products.
Administrative Order No. 18-08 published last week said the DTI will only allow the domestic distribution of deformed steel bars, rerolled steel bars and equal leg angle steel bars if these products come from plants certified by the Bureau of Philippines Standards (BPS).
“For safety, traceability and accountability purposes, only steel products sourced from steel manufacturing plants holding a valid PS Quality and/or Certification Mark License shall be permitted to be distributed, sold and used in the Philippines,” the DTI said in its order.
The PS licensing scheme is available to both domestic and foreign companies.
Compliance will be determined through an annual audit at the factory. Domestic companies will also undergo regular audits at their warehouses while foreign companies will likewise go through the process on a per-shipment basis.
The PS license is effective for three years and is subject to regular compliance monitoring. It may be withdrawn, suspended or cancelled any time if a company is found unable to pass the BPS’ evaluations.
Importers need to secure a statement of confirmation for each product and bill of lading to ensure that the shipment is sourced from a PS-licensed manufacturer.
Deformed steel bars and rerolled steel bars are used as concrete reinforcement for commercial, residential and industrial buildings.
Equal leg angle steel bars are also used for commercial, residential and industrial buildings but with wider application in trusses, sections and steel frame.
The Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) has asked the government to act on the proliferation of substandard and uncertified steel bars.
As of Aug. 28, the BPS oversees the certification of 88 various products. — Janina C. Lim
