Bureau of Customs (BoC) agents intercepted 12 shipments of steel pipes and steel tubes from China at the Manila International Container Port (MICP), officials announced yesterday.
The steel pipes and steel tubes, which arrived on June 7 and declared to weigh 16,380 kgs, came from Guangzhou and Hebei, China. The shipments were consigned to Siegreich Enterprise of Rm. 207, 2/F Regina Bldg. Escolta St., Manila.
The shipper, according to the documents submitted, was identified as Guangzhou Chuantong Imp. & Exp. Trading Co., Ltd. and Hebei Yongteng Trading Co. Ltd. of Rm. 501, No. 4 Lang 3, Yongxing Middle Street, Longgui , Baiyun District, Guangzhou, China; and South of Shahe Bridge Industry, Dingzhou City, Heibei Province, China, respectively.
BoC-MICP authorities have issued an alert order for alleged discrepancy in weight.
Upon verification, customs examiners “found out that the shipment weighed 27,100 kgs based on net stowage place as per report from the Pier Inspection Division.”
“The same with tiles, steel tubes and pipes are subject to Magna scale weighing in order for the bureau to assess the customs duties and taxes since it is dutiable by weight.”
Magna scale is a process of determining the actual weight of the shipment less the container weight in order to determine the dutiable weight.
MICP authorities valued the steel shipments at R18 million. (Ariel Fernandez)
