With the collection of safeguard duties on imported vehicles officially brought to a halt, carmakers are preparing to issue refunds to customers. Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC) and Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) are just two of those announcing that reimbursements are forthcoming.
MMPC is stopping the collection of safeguard duties for its imported models including the Strada
On its Facebook page, MMPC declared that additional safeguard duties for brand-new units of its imported models are no longer required, effective immediately. Deposits that were previously collected will be returned to the customers concerned, with their respective dealerships reaching out to them on when and how the refund will be processed.
The order covers units of the Xpander MPV, Montero Sport midsize SUV, and the Strada compact pickup that were purchased from February 1, 2021.
Meanwhile, IPC also took to social media to proclaim that it will be stopping the imposition of safeguard duties on its imported models. This applies specifically to units of the mu-X midsize SUV and the D-Max compact pickup purchased from March 1, 2021.
Customers who bought the two Isuzu models were issued a separate receipt on top of the unit’s sticker price, indicating that the safeguard duties paid would be held in trust by the dealer until the government had finalized whether to retain or remove the provision eventually. Affected owners can now expect a call from their dealerships on procedures and schedules for their claims.
Isuzu customers need to present the original acknowledgement receipt and one government-issued ID
The safeguard tariffs were imposed during the first quarter of 2021 by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in response to a complaint filed by the Philippine Metalworkers Alliance (PMA) alleging that complete built up (CBU) vehicles were adversely affecting local car production.
A fee of Php 70,000 was added to the sticker price for imported passenger cars, while Php 110,000 was tacked on to the price of light commercial vehicles. Both tariffs were exclusive of value added tax (VAT). The measure was intended to be in place for 200 days while the Tariff Commission (TC) conducted its investigation into the PMA’s complaint.
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