Rock Hard to stop selling cement

[Duane 3NE 2NR]

EMBATTLED cement importer, Rock Hard Distributors Ltd, will be temporarily closing its doors on Friday, due to the import duties and implemented restrictions in the domestic market for the commodity.

In an interview with the Express yesterday, Ryan Ramhit, managing director of Rock Hard Distributors, confirmed that Friday will be the last day the company will be selling cement to the local market, as a result of increased duties and the quota that the Government implemented on the importation of cement.

'This move made it virtually impossible for us to do business to import and sell our cement at a competitive price. What this means is that with Rock Hard not being able to conduct business, it will revert to a TCL (Trinidad Cement Ltd) monopoly once again. The market is still open for anyone to set up to manufacture or even import, once the owners can handle the restrictions put in place by the Government,' Ramhit exclaimed.

https://trinidadexpress.com/business/lo ... 0ca08.html

[Dizzy28]

Rock Hard must have known they would not be allowed to operate at their original sweetheart tariff rate.

The CCJ in June last year already ruled in Barbados favour to keep the replacement of the CET of 5% with a tariff of 35%.

How they got away with the 5% CET for a while is what surprises me as CARICOM has domestic producers of cement (albeit all Cemex owned via TCL)

[pugboy]

this was peanuts for them anyways
the kinda money them spin

[Rovin]

it actually have ignorant ppl on fb defending this yes with comments like ent ppl pay 100-150 a bag recently so they cud pay if tcl monopoly raise price ...

[hover11]

Trinis have short term memory....if I was a manufacturer like TCL and saw retailers were making double profit margins off my product that is a clear indication that I am selling at a loss

it actually have ignorant ppl on fb defending this yes with comments like ent ppl pay 100-150 a bag recently so they cud pay if tcl monopoly raise price ...

[daring dragoon]

Look how tcl go raise cement prices to $70 a bag from today. This monopoly should be illegal as they screw an force out harricrete an now rockhard. This will turn off anyone else in the future as the playing field not level.

[Dizzy28]

TCL has always had what is a virtual monopoly and they never did the price gouging you all are claiming going to happen now.

What makes now so different?

[sam1978]

TCL has always had what is a virtual monopoly and they never did the price gouging you all are claiming going to happen now.

What makes now so different?

That’s not true. When Rock Hard came on the market TCL price was high and they dropped ,then kept the price while RH was available.

[zoom rader]

The great Carri-con scam.

[Rovin]

besides fear of price rise its a right of freedom of choice being taken away , 1 brand take it or leave it

suppose coke was d only cola soft drink , white oak becomes d only rum , ttt remained only local tv station , tstt d only cell , flow d only net , fkc d only fry chicken etc ... there shud be at least 3 choices\options of everything

[MG Man]

their burgers weren't superb, but I wouldn't go so far as to call them cement

[Dizzy28]

besides fear of price rise its a right of freedom of choice being taken away , 1 brand take it or leave it

suppose coke was d only cola soft drink , white oak becomes d only rum , ttt remained only local tv station , tstt d only cell , flow d only net , fkc d only fry chicken etc ... there shud be at least 3 choices\options of everything

Nobody stopping Rock Hard from selling yunno.

[timelapse]

their burgers weren't superb, but I wouldn't go so far as to call them cement

Not Hard Rock.You issa Guyanese bai? Chicken Curry?
Ohskunt

[Rovin]

... ...

[daring dragoon]

I remember paying $80 for a bag of tcl before rockhard came in at $45.

[sam1978]

besides fear of price rise its a right of freedom of choice being taken away , 1 brand take it or leave it

suppose coke was d only cola soft drink , white oak becomes d only rum , ttt remained only local tv station , tstt d only cell , flow d only net , fkc d only fry chicken etc ... there shud be at least 3 choices\options of everything

Nobody stopping Rock Hard from selling yunno.

They not stopping them but they put a 50 % duty and a quota. What effect you think that would have ?

[adnj]

Complaints about a lack of diversification, foreign exchange shortages and job losses.

or

Tariffs and market protection.

Pick one.

[hover11]

That's ok ppl were paying 150 in recent times and were not batting an eye at price, why they concerned now?

I remember paying $80 for a bag of tcl before rockhard came in at $45.

[timelapse]

That's ok ppl were paying 150 in recent times and were not batting an eye at price, why they concerned now?

I remember paying $80 for a bag of tcl before rockhard came in at $45.

Try building anything that requires at least 1 pallet of cement.You'll see what the beatup is.

[hover11]

I understand however when you pay 150 for cement what message you think that sends to the manufacturer lol. That you basically willing to pay anything and now they free to increase then the beat up starts.... gosh boy how they go do we that times done hard, consumers just shooting themselves in the foot

That's ok ppl were paying 150 in recent times and were not batting an eye at price, why they concerned now?

I remember paying $80 for a bag of tcl before rockhard came in at $45.

Try building anything that requires at least 1 pallet of cement.You'll see what the beatup is.

[MG Man]

their burgers weren't superb, but I wouldn't go so far as to call them cement

Not Hard Rock.You issa Guyanese bai? Chicken Curry?
Ohskunt

calm down there, lapstime

[K74T]

Rock Hard > TCL

[teems1]

TCL has always had what is a virtual monopoly and they never did the price gouging you all are claiming going to happen now.

What makes now so different?

The cost to enter the market as a local manufacturer is astronomical.

Bigger international cement companies will always have economies of scale to benefit their side and thus produce at a cheaper cost.

If Rock Hard wanted to set up a factory in Trinidad then that's a different story.

TCL is a massive user of electricity and a source of forex who also run at a profit.

If they were to go out of business, the repercussions would be way worse for the average Trini.

[pugboy]

for sure
when mittal closed down it was a big loss for ttec

[ru$$ell]

[hover11]

Take Bull, TCL have free reign now and will increase prices

[shake d livin wake d dead]

Great is the................

[hover11]

Red government did nothing to help this situation simply frustrate the competition out of business to please stakeholders

[hover11]

If memory serves me correctly i believe its the same type of fight down Red Jet received from the Governments of the Caribbean when they tried to launch low fare Caribbean travel ........
...but it still have persons who does argue over PNM and UNC......they all have the same interest.........money for THEMSELVES

[Dizzy28]

for sure
when mittal closed down it was a big loss for ttec

300MW IIRC.

But wrt to Rock Hard Trinis want to be a nation of cheaper import/distribution just like with everything else. Eventually they will realize those imports need to be paid for by money bought in from the productive sectors.