Mazda Philippines applies safeguard duties on select models

Mazda Philippines has announced that select models in its lineup will now have the safeguard duties applied to them. Unlike other manufacturers that have multiple models in their range affected by the new tariff, the Japanese automaker only has two, namely the Mazda3 sedan and Mazda3 Sportback as well as the Mazda MX-5.

Select variants of the Mazda3 in its hatchback and sedan form will come with a P70,000 VAT exclusive security deposit on them. Specifically, this includes the Sedan Premium, Sportback Premium, and Speed variants as well. The same can be said for the MX-5, as all variants including the Soft top, Retractable Fastback version, and its Club edition variant will also have the same security deposit added to them. 

It is important to note that other variants of the Mazda3 such as the Elite and Sportback Elite versions will not require a security deposit. The same can be said for the Mazda6, CX-3, CX-30, CX-9, and BT50 as the current stocks of these vehicles arrived prior to the implementation of the safeguard duties. The CX-5 and CX-8 are also exempt from the tariff as they have a different tax bracket. 

Similar to what other automakers are doing, the security deposit is refundable. Once the Tariff Commission decides that there is no basis to impose the safeguard duties, the security deposit will be returned to the distributor and the dealership. This security deposit will then be returned to the customer who bought the vehicle. However, if the safeguard duties are found to be permanent, the customer will also have to pay the additional Value Added Tax (VAT) on their security deposit for their unit. 

If the ruling of the Tariff Commission proves that safeguard duties are not needed, the customer can head over to the dealership they purchased their unit from, and claim their security deposit. They can do this by presenting a government-issued ID and the acknowledgement receipt that was issued for the unit they bought. Mazda Philippines will also release further announcements on its website and Facebook page if any other news develops.