Industry leaders flag enforcement gaps in substandard steel cases

Industry leaders in the steel sector have expressed concerns over the lack of follow-through on private-sector reports of suspected substandard steel products. The Philippine Iron and Steel Institute (PISI) president, Joel Ronquillo, has called for stricter rules on product standards and a ban on induction furnace products for construction steel-grade steel.

Ronquillo emphasized the need for a complete account of violations reported by the private sector, including actions taken against erring firms and whether penalties were imposed. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has improved its response time to industry reports, but the industry still receives little information on the outcomes of its reports.

The trade agency's enforcement team recorded a violation rate of less than five percent for steel bars, while the PISI's reported violation rate has consistently been over 50 percent. Ronquillo outlined three demands to the government to curb substandard products in the steel industry, including a total ban on induction furnaces for construction steel-grade, implementation of the Philippine National Standards (PNS) 49:2026, and a level playing field where only standard steel bars are sold in the domestic market.

Brief written by urgent.news from Philippine Star Business's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.