Crackdown on unsafe Chinese imports pushed

Domestic manufacturers on Tuesday called on government regulators to step up efforts against the influx of substandard imported products, particularly from China, amid fears the Philippines is being used as a dumping ground.

Dr. Jesus L. Arranza, chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI), urged the Bureau of Product Standards (BPS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to intensify inspections and testing of Chinese-made goods.

Some of these products, he warned, have repeatedly failed to meet Philippine and international quality standards. Arranza raised alarm over a recent case involving imported automotive batteries from China.

In a raid conducted by joint operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), nearly P100 million worth of automotive batteries were seized from a warehouse in Quezon City for lacking Import Commodity Clearance (ICC), a mandatory requirement before imported goods can be sold in the market.

The FPI also asked the Philippine Association of Battery Manufacturers to conduct laboratory tests on two Chinese brands — Oursun and Superstart — that had been granted ICC and are now being sold locally.

Test results showed both brands failed in three critical international benchmarks: Ampere Hour Test, Cold Cranking Ampere and Heavy Load Endurance Test. In addition, battery posts melted under simulated conditions mimicking cranking and discharging at 40 degrees Celsius.

“So in the case of automotive batteries alone, we have discovered two things — there are batteries in the market that have no ICC, which is illegal per se, and there are batteries that have secured ICC despite being substandard in quality,” Arranza said.

“Automotive batteries are critical because there are about 38 million vehicles in the Philippines. These substandard products could just explode or catch fire anytime,” he added, noting that social media users have also posted incidents of exploding imported batteries.

Arranza said FPI is willing to collaborate with the government in its efforts to crack down on substandard goods and protect Filipino consumers. He added that several government-accredited testing labs are part of the FPI network and can assist in screening questionable products.

“Our first line of defense against these substandard products are the FDA and BPS, so we are appealing to them to heighten their monitoring and testing of imported products,” Arranza said. “The Bureau of Internal Revenue can come in later by looking at the income and tax declarations of the unscrupulous importers.”

He also called for a government-led information drive to educate the public on the dangers of substandard goods and their negative effects on both consumer safety and the local manufacturing sector.

“Yes, these substandard products are cheaper,” Arranza said. “However, their quality is very poor, they will definitely not last long, and you are also putting your lives in danger when you use them.”