Sunset Review of anti-dumping duties on clear float glass originating from Saudi Arabia and the UAE

On 31 January 2025, ITAC initiated a sunset review of anti-dumping duties imposed on clear float glass (2.5mm to 6mm thick), tariff subheadings 7005.29.17, 7005.29.23, 7005.29.25, 7005.29.35 originating from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.…

Massive tariffs imposed by Trump on China, Mexico and Canada!

This is how it looks when the largest economy in the world is run by a king. At the beginning of the year I noted “This [Trump] is a man with an incredibly tenuous grip on…

Duty increase request on steel shoulder couplers: The first tariff application for 2025!!

The International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) published the application for an increase in the rate of customs duty on steel shoulder couplers on 24 January 2025. Rand York Castings (Pty) Ltd brought the application for the…

Claim back your safeguard duties on hot rolled steel!

On 5 July 2024, a provisional duty of 9% was imposed on safeguard measures against the increased imports of certain flat-rolled products of iron, non-alloy steel, or other alloy steel (excluding stainless steel), whether or not…

South Africa takes over America! Viva!

America is being (not so) secretly run by a cabal of South Africans (Elon Musk, Patrick Soon-Shiong, David Sacks, and Peter Thiel – ok born in Germany and grew up in Namibia, but close enough). Trump…

Reinitiating of safeguard Investigation on galvanised flat-rolled steel products

On 27 December 2024, a safeguard investigation was initiated on imports of galvanised flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel (read more here). These products fall under tariff subheadings 7210.61.20, 7210.61.30, 7225.92.25, and 7225.92.35. This case…

Supreme Court upholds TikTok ban in landmark first amendment case

In a highly anticipated ruling, the Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of a law effectively banning TikTok in the United States unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests ownership (in South Africa we call this localisation).…

Zimbabwe lifts ban on cloven-hoofed animal imports from Select South African provinces

On January 7, 2025, the Veterinary Services Directorate of Zimbabwe lifted the ban on the importation of cloven-hoofed animals and their products from South Africa, but with a significant caveat. This lifting applies exclusively to animals…

How the geopolitics in West Africa unfolded in the last inauguration in Ghana

In 1975, leaders in West Africa agreed to form the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). At the time most of the leaders in the region were leading military juntas. They were, therefore, more focused…

A deep misunderstanding of what an export led industrial policy means

Industrial policy is typically either focused on import replacement (the South African model) or export led policy (Asian Tigers). These are not mutually exclusive ideas, but the primary focus is different. The first assumes that by…

China launches a safeguard investigation into fresh and frozen beef

25% of South African beef exports went to China in the last year (R290 million) , making China our largest export destination for beef. All of this is at risk if safeguard duties are imposed. This…

What to watch for in 2025

This is going to be a wild year. This is a statement you can make with confidence in any year where Donald Trump will be president. If 2024 was the Year of the Election, with four…

Alleged (but hard to find) surge in the imports of galvanised steel coil triggers a safeguard investigation

On December 27, 2024, the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) launched a safeguard investigation into a surge of imports of galvanised flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel. These products fall under tariff subheadings 7210.61.20, 7210.61.30,…

Botswana Announces Phased Lifting of Vegetable Import Restrictions

On 13 December 2024, the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture in Botswana announced a phased lifting of topical vegetable import restrictions, aiming to balance local needs with regional considerations under the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).…

Temporary Rebate Application: Aluminium Profiles

The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) has published a notice in Government Gazette No. 51740, on 13 December 2024, regarding an application for the creation of a temporary rebate facility. This application, submitted…

Housekeeping: Amendments to the APDP, AfCFTA phase-downs & new tariff codes for mangoes and pomegranates

On 6 December  2024, SARS published several amendments pertaining to the Automotive Production Development Programme (APDP). The newly published amendments comprised the deletion and substitution of multiple items in Parts 1, 2, and 3 of Schedules…

Import replacement is a strategy doomed to failure, no matter how compelling the story

The story goes something like this. You protect your factories against imports, mainly by way of import duties and / or subsidies, until they become competitive and then those competitive businesses will export. This give us…

ITAC self-initiated an investigation into footwear customs duties & Prelim duties imposed on structural steel

On 22 November 2024, the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) self-initiated an investigation to consider increasing the alternate rate of customs duty on various footwear products. This investigation targets footwear items classified under Chapter 64 of…

Without transparency and meaningful participation, its just rent-seeking all the way down

The International Trade Administration Commission (Itac) has just accepted comments on the Price Preference System (PPS), the set of rules which force scrap metal generators and recyclers to sell their scrap metal at a discount to…

LinkedIn Poll #1: Who funds tariffs on imports?

I asked my LinkedIn audience to agree or not, with the following statement. Here is the result. Correct answer Tariffs are taxes paid by importers on imported goods. Importers are local businesses so these taxes are…

Post-election crisis in Mozambique

South Africa temporarily closed its main border with Mozambique as protesters burned vehicles in Maputo. The country’s main port suspends taking cargo over security concerns. The death toll rises to about two dozen people as the…

Global trade under Comrade Trump

On 5 November Americans go to the polls to elect Potus 47. It unnerves me, but I suspect when President Ramaphosa calls to congratulate the winner, he will be speaking to the Honourable Comrade President Donald…

In fighting terrorism, states in south-west West Africa must pay attention to their shores

When “Al-Shabaab in Mozambique” emerged in Mozambique in 2017, it had become the southernmost active jihadi group in Africa. Interestingly, it had established itself on the northern coast among fishing communities and exploited the economic neglect…

Self-promotion in Mali and rapprochement in Niger: signs of domestic differences in junta-led states

Over a week ago, Asimi Goita, (the junta leader of Mali since 2021) promoted himself and assumed the special title of “supreme” commander of the “land army” (never a good sign). He went further to promote…

Import duties increased on wheat and wheat flour

ITAC is properly on top of things! The import duties on wheat and wheat flour have been increased from zero to R4.22 per kg for wheat and to R6.329 per kg for wheat flour. This is…

Investigation initiated into a possible rebate of duty on copper sulphates

ITAC are looking into creating a temporary rebate on copper sulphate which saw its import duties increased on 20 September 2024 from zero to  10%. The proposed rebate will only be available to companies who import…

Xenophobia and the terrible art of blaming foreigners

I have no children, but I can know that losing a child is a devastating experience for any parent, so I understand the anger and fear when children are dying because of food poisoning. Politicians are…

Anti-dumping investigation initiated on top-loading washing machines from China and Thailand

Defy Appliances applied for anti-dumping duties on “Fully automatic top load machines, of a dry linen capacity exceeding 10 kg but less than 17 kg classifiable under tariff subheading 8450.20.20” from China and Thailand. Defy is…

Why are Botswana and Namibia banning South African citrus and vegetables?

… and why is South Africa upset by their behaviour? Answering these two questions gets us closer to understanding why protectionist policies create net economic harms, even when they appear benign. Agricultural economists Thabile Nkunjana and…

Zimbabwe initiates a safeguard investigation against imported toothpaste

… and South African producers are in their sights. Zimbabwe’s Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC) launched a safeguard investigation because of concerns about an “influx of toothpaste imports into the country, which is threatening the viability…