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Duties increased on conical steel drums
On Friday, 17 April 2026, the rate of Customs duty on conical steel drums of capacity of 210 litre or more, but not exceeding 234 litre, increased from free of duty, to 15%. These drums are…
Itac Investigation on Tyre Imports Terminated After Time Lapse
On 27 March 2026, Itac announced the termination of its anti-circumvention investigation into the alleged circumvention of anti-dumping duties on new pneumatic rubber tyres. The investigation was initiated on 20 September 2024 and followed an application…
EU Launches Safeguard Investigation into Electrical Steel Imports
The European Commission has launched a safeguard investigation on behalf of all its Member States. Published on March 27, 2026, this move targets a sudden surge in imports of specific steel products essential for the power…
Latest Developments in SA’s Renewable Energy Tariff Review
On 27 March 2026, Itac published a preliminary determinations in its ongoing review of tariffs across the renewable energy value chain. For stakeholders across solar, wind, and battery storage industries, this marks an important policy signal. Greater…
Latest developments in SA-USA trade
On 12 March 2026, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) initiated investigations of South Africa and 59 other economies under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974. The investigations will determine whether acts, policies, and…
We need to count the cost of our industrial policies
When the decision is taken to levy an import duty on a product, it is not as simple as claiming that it protects the local producer (localisation) and is therefore a good thing. We are being…
Proposed amendments to the anti-dumping and safeguard regulations
A week after Itac published proposed amendments to the International Trade Administration Act (ITA Act), they published proposed amendments to the anti-dumping, as well as the safeguard regulations. The proposed changes are many and complex. There…
About those ‘liberation day tariffs’ you may have paid, they can be refunded
Incoterms. No one ever thinks about them, but if you had exported to the USA under the Deliver Duty Paid (DDP) incoterms and paid the “Liberation Day” tariffs, Christmas has come early for you. On 4…
New safeguard developments in coated steel and fasteners
Recent notices published by the International Trade Administration Commission (tac) highlight important developments affecting South Africa’s steel and manufacturing industries. Two separate safeguard-related investigations have been initiated, both aimed at addressing the impact of increased imports…
Proposed temporary rebate on grooved couplings: What you need to know
On 26 February 2026, the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) self-initiated an investigation to consider creating a temporary rebates for: Grooved couplings, for a pipe with an outside diameter of 42 mm or more but not…
Trump’s global tariffs struck down by the US Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court (Scotus) has issued a seismic ruling on President Trump’s global tariffs. The question before Scotus: whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) authorises the President to impose tariffs? The final verdict:…
Anti-Dumping Duties on US Soda Ash Maintained
On 19 February 2026, Itac published the final determination to maintain anti-dumping duties on disodium carbonate (soda ash) imports from the United States of America following a sunset review. Accordingly, the anti-dumping duty on disodium carbonate…
Amendments of custom duties on sugar, wheat and wheat flour
On 13 February 2026, SARS published the amendments to the customs duties on sugar, wheat, and wheat flour. The duties on sugar, classified under tariff subheadings 1701.1 and 1701.9 was increased from 436.38c/kg to 483.72c/kg. The…
Expansion of the boundaries of the Dube Trade Port Special Economic Zone (SEZ)
On 6 February 2026 Trade Industry and Competition minister Parks Tau announced the expansion of the boundaries of the Dube Trade Port SEZ, located at the King Shaka International Airport, North of Durban. The Dube Trade…
Anti-dumping investigation into FULLY THREADED SCREWS AND BOLTS WITH HEXAGON HEADS ORIGINATING IN, OR EXPORTED FROM China terminated
On 6 February 2026 the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) terminated the anti-dumping investigation against China on fully threaded screws and bolts with hexagon heads, because the investigation ran for more than 18…
Invitation to submit applications for a quota import permit for a rebate of the full anti-dumping duty on frozen bone-in chicken portions imported from the USA
The Department of Agriculture (DoA) on 6 February 2026 published a notice in the Government Gazette to invite applications for a quota import permit on frozen bone-in chicken portions originating in or imported from the USA.…
New Tariff Application: 15% Duty Proposed for Medium-density Fibreboard
PG Bison (Pty) Ltd has applied to Itac for an increase in the customs duty on medium-density fibreboard (MDF), classified under tariff heading 44.11. The application proposes raising the duty from 10% ad valorem to 15%…
New Rebate Application on Stainless Steel Butterfly Valves
Guth SA (Pty) Ltd has applied to Itac for the creation of a temporary rebate provision on stainless steel butterfly valves with an inside diameter not exceeding 150mm, classified under tariff subheading 8481.80.31. The application relates…
The peanut butter zombie tariff investigation tells us why tariff investigation decisions must be made on recent data
The ‘zombie tariffs’ we have been going on about might actually be dead. In a move that highlights the critical importance of up-to-date data in a tariff application, the International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) has effectively…
Anti-dumping investigation initiated on ceramic tiles from India, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe
ITAC has initiated an anti-dumping investigation on ceramic and porcelain wall and floor tiles, imported under tariff heading 69.07, from India, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.. The application was filed by the SACU tile manufacturers, Ceramic Industries…
Why electricity pricing now determines South Africa’s ferrochrome industry’s future
On 10 November 2025, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa presented “Global and Domestic Energy Complex in Context”, which highlighted the structural energy challenges facing South Africa and set out a series of interventions aimed at stabilising energy-intensive industries.…
Proposed changes to anti-dumping duties on stainless steel sinks and new rebates on safeguard duties on hot-rolled steel
Some steel rebates created for hot-rolled steel safeguard duties This is a good thing, because it allows flavours of hot-rolled steel, not produced locally to be exempted from the safeguard duties. The general export rebate (470.03),…
Say no to Political Economic Empowerment!
There is a frightening article in the Sunday Times which explains that “[a] department of co-operative governance & traditional affairs (Cogta) skills audit revealed in 2023 that more than 300 KwaZulu-Natal councillors were illiterate, raising questions…
PPS for scrap metal is being reviewed again – and its (mostly) not good
Itac is proposing to reduce the Price Preference System (PPS) discount on scrap steel from 30% to 25%., but…. always the but…. keep reading… PPS provides a raw material subsidy to scrap consumers such as mini-mills…
Provisional anti-dumping duties imposed on windscreens
On 31 October 2025, SARS imposed the provisional payment in the anti-dumping investigation against the alleged circumvention of the anti-dumping duties on windscreens for vehicles classifiable under tariff subheading 7007.21.20 originating in or imported from the…
Anti-dumping investigation initiated on steel pipes imported from Mozambique
Hall Longmore brought an application for anti-dumping duties on pipes made of iron or steel, of an external diameter exceeding 406.4mm, cleared under tariff code 7305.19, from Mozambique. Longitudinally submerged arc welded and longitudinally welded pipes…
Imports from Ethiopia are now eligible for preferential duties under AfCFTA
On 14 August 2025, Ethiopia became the 13th non-Sadc state to implement the Provisional Schedule of Tariff Concession of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), joining Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Tunisia, Burundi, Morocco,…
G20 trade policy in 2025: Tariffs rise again as security shapes global trade
Earlier in October 2025, the St. Gallen Endowment for Prosperity Through Trade released its latest G20 Trade Policy Factbook. The report shows that trade activity among G20 members remains high and increasingly complex. Although the total…
Chrome ore export control: new step to strengthen South Africa’s mining industry
On 3 October 2025, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) published a notice inviting public comment on a proposal to place chrome ore (tariff subheading 2610.00) under export control. This step follows a…
Updates on tariff schedules: what you need to know!
On 3 October 2025, SARS published amendments to its tariff schedules, effective from 1 January 2026, to align South Africa’s customs duties with its commitments under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). These changes include…