THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said certification of ceramic tile inventories produced or imported before new quality standards came into force must undergo a recertification process.
In a statement on Thursday, the DTI noted that Memorandum Circular (MC) 22-01 issued by its Bureau of Philippine Standards took effect on Jan. 11.
The DTI circular provided supplemental guidelines for Department Administrative Order (DAO) 20-09:2020 which required the product certification of ceramic tiles.
According to the DTI, MC 22-01 sets guidelines for the certification of ceramic tiles covered by DAO 20-09:2020, which were manufactured or imported to the Philippines before Oct. 12 and held in inventory by importers, distributors, or retailers.
“DTI issued MC 22-01 to address concerns of both manufacturers and importers on the proper disposition of the remaining inventories of ceramic tiles that are already released and distributed in the Philippine market prior to the implementation of DAO 20-09:2020,” Trade Undersecretary Ruth B. Castelo said.
“With the newly issued supplemental guidelines, we hope that they maximize the opportunity to have their existing inventories of ceramic tiles certified before the market monitoring and enforcement commences next year. With this MC, we also addressed importers’ concerns on product testing for shipments of ceramic tiles intended for single dwelling units or project supply contracts,” she added.
For locally manufactured products, the DTI said manufacturers should apply for Philippine Standard certification for the remaining inventories of ceramic tiles distributed in the market before the effectivity of DAO 20-09-2020.
Importers, on the other hand, need to apply for import commodity clearances on a “per product and per manufacturer basis.”
“In addition, MC 22-01 exempts shipments of ceramic tiles intended for single dwelling units or project supply contracts from product sampling and testing provided that these importations do not exceed 1,800 square meters,” DTI said.
The DTI said market monitoring and enforcement will begin on Jan. 1, 2023 to provide ample time for local manufacturers and importers to comply with the certification requirements.
Holders of non-compliant products by that date will be issued notices of violation and be advised to withdraw these products from the market after a first offense. The next notice of violation will trigger a regular adjudication process. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave
