Change to the tariff structure of plastic bags
The tariff structure on plastic bags, will be amended to include thermoplastic materials under the compulsory specifications for plastic bags and flat bags as recommended by the National Regulator of Compulsory Specifications (VC 8087/2013). The change will not…
New tariff structure for frozen chicken
The tariff structure for boneless offal and bone-in chicken has been changed to allow for a much greater level of detail. At the moment, the above cuts of chicken are cleared as follows: Heading Description General…
Application for an exclusion from the anti-dumping duties on mirrors
Nelson Glass and Mirrors have applied for an exemption on the anti-dumping duties currently in place on “Unframed glass mirrors” imported from China. The current anti-dumping duties, of 40.22%, were imposed in July 2013. Nelson Glass and…
Is SA in breach of our anti-dumping legislation and our WTO obligations?
On 8 July 2005 ITAC initiated an investigation against the alleged dumping of shocktubes (explosive devises) from China, but it revoked its decision to initiate on 19 January 2006. African Explosives Ltd (AEL) challenged this in…
VAT zero-rating: short-term reprieve for farmers
Had suggested amendments to the VAT Act been implemented, it would have seen the current dispensation in terms of which farming enterprises are allowed to acquire their production inputs at the zero-rate of VAT, being discontinued.…
Input tax on imported goods – the good old days are back!
From 1 April 2014 vendors involved in the importation of goods were only allowed to claim VAT paid to the South Africa Revenue Services (SARS) on the importation of the goods in the tax period that…
Import agents – not such good news for the clearing industry
Clearing agents are often challenged by the need to provide information to their principals to ensure that the principals comply with the requirements of the VAT Act. An amendment to the VAT Act, which will come…
Duties increased on mussels and coated paper
Duties increased on mussels We noted in our blog post in July 2014, that ITAC forgot to include preserved mussels in their duty increase review on mussels. They have now taken a decision on that matter and…
Impact of regulating scrap metal exports
Last week, the Department of Economic Development published the proposed review of the price preference system for exports of scrap metal, which should result in a greater supply of scrap metal in the local market, as…
Duties increased on sugar
The duty on sugar, imported under the following tariff subheadings has been increased from R0.926 per kg to R1.425 per kg with immediate effect: 1701.12 (Beet sugar) 1701.13 and 1701.14 (Cane sugar) 1701.91 (Containing flavouring or colouring)…
Exceptionally high duties requested on stainless steel sinks
The anti-dumping sunset review on stainless steel sinks from China and Malaysia was initiated last Friday. In our blog post about that case, we showed the existing duties, the maximum duty being 62.41% for China and…
Proposed amendments to the price preference system for metal scrap
Under the auspices of the Department of Economic Development, International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) is conducting a review of the current export control measures that are in place for ferrous and non-ferrous metal waste and scrap. …
Anti-dumping sunset review on stainless steel sinks
ITAC has initiated a sunset review on kitchen sinks manufactured in or imported from China and Malaysia, under tariff subheading 7324.10. The table below shows the existing anti-dumping duty structure on kitchen sinks: Producer Country of…
Annual structural changes to the Customs tariff – 2015
Once a year, SARS accepts applications from interested companies to change the structure of the tariff book, with most of these changes taking the form of the addition of new tariff lines. These additions to the…
Duties removed on graphite electrodes
The normal Customs duties on graphite electrodes, imported under tariff subheading 8545.11, was increased to 10% in November 2013. Subsequent to the duty increase, the only local producer of graphite electrodes shut down their domestic production and…
Duties increased on wire of iron or non-alloy steel
The duties have been increased on wire of iron or non-alloy steel, plated or clad with other base metals, classifiable under tariff subheading 7212.30, from free of duty to 10%. The application had been brought by Natstan Wire, and…
Anti-dumping case initiated on cement from Pakistan
A consortium of South African cement producers brought an anti-dumping application on Portland cement, imported under tariff subheading 2523.29. They have requested an anti-dumping duty of 48%. The consortium comprises the following producers: Afrisam Limited LaFarge…
Rebate application on caustic soda
NCP Chlorchem have brought an application for a rebate of duty on sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), in aqueous solution (soda lye or liquid soda) imported under tariff subheading 2815.12, for use in the manufacture of sodium…
Duties increased on vitrifiable enamels
The duties have been increased on vitrifiable enamels imported under tariff subheading 3207.20.10, from zero to 5%. The tariff heading 3207.20 which attracted no duty has been split to include two new tariff subheadings as follows: 3207.20.10 Vitrifiable…
Anti-dumping duties maintained on wire rope and cables as well as stranded wire
ITAC have completed the sunset review on: Wire ropes and cables of a diameter exceeding 32mm originating in or imported from the UK and Germany; Stranded wire of a diameter exceeding or equal to 12,7mm from…
Anti-dumping case on frozen potato chips finalised
Anti-dumping duty on frozen potato chips imposed, but deferred ITAC have finalised the anti-dumping investigation into frozen potato chips from Belgium and the Netherlands, imported under tariff subheading 2004.10.90. The result of the decision appears to…
Poultry for AGOA
South Africa has offered the USA better access to the South African poultry market in exchange for providing South Africa with continued access to the US market under AGOA. South Africa’s anti-dumping duties against US bone-in…
Anti-dumping duties extended on Gypsum Plasterboard imported from Indonesia and Thailand
ITAC have decided to extend the anti-dumping duties on gypsum plasterboard, imported under tariff subheading 6809.11, from Indonesia and Thailand for another 5 years. The duties will be kept at their existing levels of 45% for…
Safeguard duties imposed on frozen potato chips
Final safeguard duties imposed Definitive safeguard duties of 40.92% will be imposed on frozen chips classifiable under tariff subheading 2004.10.90, from 25 July 2014 – 4 July 2015. Because safeguard duties need to reduce each year,…
Automotive Investment Schemes Guidelines Amended
The Automotive Investment Scheme (AIS) and the People-carrier Automotive Investment Scheme (P-AIS) revised guidelines has been approved by the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies. The revised guidelines are effective from 1 April 2014.…
Duty increase application on certain wire products
Hendok (Pty) Ltd has brought an application on various wire products, as follows: Tariff Product Existing duty Requested duty Imports (Jan 13 to Apr 14) 7217.20 Wire of non-allow steel: Plated or coated with zinc Zero…
Application to increase duties on lead acid batteries
Powertech Batteries and First National Battery, jointly brought an application to increase the duties on Lead acid batteries (mainly, but not only, automotive batteries), imported under tariff subheading 8507.10, from the existing 5% duty to 30%. This…
Inclusion on preserved mussels in duty increase
ITAC intended, but forgot to include, mussels imported under tariff subheading 1605.53, in its duty increase implementation in December 2012. The original duty increase focused on fresh and smoked mussels, whereas the most recent proposal looks…
Duty reduced on stranded wire
A new tariff code (7312.10.10) has been created to reduce the rate of customs duty on stranded wire, of wire which is plated, coated or clad with copper zinc base alloys (brasses), from 5% to free…
Alcohol content of wine redefined
SARS issued a set of 3 gazettes on the 4th July to indicate that wine will now be defined as having a minimum alcohol content of 4.5% (down from 6.5%). The impact of this is to…