The country’s producers of cold rolled coil (HRC), the raw material for roofing materials, have scored on local galvanizers for their opposition over the government’s imposition of international standards.

In a statement, the country’s HRC manufacturers – Global Steel Philippines (SPV-AMC), Inc. and Steelcorp stressed the importance of implementing international standards on the importation of steel products.

“It is difficult to imagine a world without steel having a standard as a basic raw material. If the import of steel raw material is sub-standard it is bound to impact the galvanized application of roofing materials, agricultural silos, drums, air-conditioning, washing machines, refrigerators, color coating, hoardings, electrical fittings, interior paneling, rural housing, factory sheds and others,” the statement said.

This developed after the Bureau of Product Standards has sought to implement standards for Cold Rolled Steel PNS 127:2004.

This initiative of Bureau of Product Standards to impose PNS 127:2004 on cold rolled coils imply that PNS Standard will conform with major international standards such as Japan (JIS 3141) , Germany (DIN 1623/1-83, DIN 1624-87) DIN 1623/2-86, DIN -1541-75 and DIN 1544-75) , Great Britain (BS-1449/1-83), the United States of America (ASTM A 109-89, ASTM A 109 M-85, ASTM A 366/A 366 M-85, ASTM A 619/ A 619 M-82 and ASTM A 620/A 620M-84) and ISO 3574-86 and 5954-84.

“The strict imposition of new standards will bring in discipline with regard to quality and customer requirement. Philippine imports over 300,000 MT of cold rolled Steel coils annually,” the statement stressed.

According to Global Steel and Steelcorp, they were surprised by the opposition of the Filipino Galvanizers Institute (FGI)over the implementation of the PNS 127:2004 on HRC as they wondered why the local galvanizers are having difficulties in seeing the benefits of standards imposition.

“Such a progressive reform step being undertaken by the BPS is being opposed by vested interested galvanisers who are using FGI as their supporting platform,” the statement said.