2024/06/30
Expiry of Anti-Dumping Duties on PET from China
Author:Tafara Muguti
On 21 June 2024, the ITAC published a notice on anti-dumping duties on various PET imports from China, set to expire in 2025. As the anti-dumping regulations stipulate, duties shall be terminated on a date no…
2024/06/30
Sunset Review and Alleged Circumvention on Glass Products
Author:Tafara Muguti
Sunset review on the anti-dumping duty on unframed glass mirrors On 21 June 2024, ITAC published a final determination on the anti-dumping duty on unframed glass mirrors (2mm < thickness < 6mm), tariff subheading 7009.91 imported…
2024/06/30
Anti-dumping duties up for review in 2025
Author:Anneke Jansen van Vuuren
Anti-dumping duties are imposed for five years and will terminate on a date not later than five years from the date of imposition. A review has to be initiated to ensure that the duties stay in…
2024/06/27
Just in! Imminent Provisional Duty on Hot-Rolled Steel Products
Author:Surita Preller
A significant development is underway regarding the provisional safeguard duty on hot-rolled steel products. South Africa has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of its intention to impose a 9% duty, effective from tomorrow, June 28,…
2024/05/29
A “new dawn” of industrial policy in South Africa? The proposed ‘designation’ framework under the Public Procurement Bill sent to the President for assent
Author:Clive Vinti
If the President signs the new Public Procurement Bill, we may finally, we may see the light of an industrial policy which works in South Africa. Designation scores a few notable victories here and we’re going…
2024/05/26
The industrial policy Master’s class ends (or does it?)
Author:Donald MacKay
The Danish political economist, Torben Iversen, notes that “[l]abour-intensive, low-productivity jobs do not thrive in the context of high social protection and intensive labour-market regulation, and without international trade countries cannot specialise in high value-added services.…
2024/05/26
Duty increase application on conical steel drums
Author:Tafara Muguti
Peninsula Drums brought an application to increase the general rate of customs duty of “conical steel drums, of steel, of a capacity of 210 li or more but not exceeding 234 li”, cleared under tariff subheading…
2024/05/26
Rebate application on palm oils and their fractions
Author:Tafara Muguti
On May 24, 2024, ITAC published a rebate application on palm oils and their fractions, classified under tariff subheadings 1516.20.90 & 1511.90.90, explicitly used in the manufacturing of soaps and organic surface-active products (bars, cakes, molded…
2024/05/19
Trade Brief 5: Medical masterplan and American duties on China
Author:Donald MacKay
President Ramaphosa signed the National Health Insurance Bill into law this week, creating a massive healthcare monopsony (like a monopoly, but where there is one buyer instead of one seller), run by the state. If you…
2024/05/05
South Africa’s WTO disputes against EU measures on citrus: throwing stones in a glass house
Author:Gustav Brink
After poultry, citrus is South Africa’s largest agricultural industry, employing more than 140,000 people and annually earning South Africa R30 billion in export revenue. Of this, 37% is exported to the EU, by far our most…
2024/05/05
The clothing manufacturing sector is shedding jobs not creating them
Author:Donald MacKay
In very exciting news this week Minister Patel announced that “[t]he master plan for the clothing, textile, footwear and leather (CTFL) industry had turned around the industry’s fortunes and created [20 000] jobs since the plan’s…
2024/05/05
ITAC Update: Temporary rebate for roller bearing components
Author:Surita Preller
On 26 April 2024, SARS created a temporary rebate for certain outer rings of journal roller bearings, by the insertion of rebate item 460.15/8482.99.17/01.08 into the tariff book, providing conditional duty relief for imports. These outer…
2024/04/28
Cosatu, stop shouting and give a useful recommendation to reduce unemployment
Author:Donald MacKay
I’m interested in seeing how business responds to the Democratic Alliance’s economic plan. I hope it’s a little more measured than the shallow response from Matthew Parks, Cosatu’s parliamentary coordinator and acting national spokesperson. Let’s for…
2024/04/24
Initiation of anti-dumping sunset review on garden picks, spades and shovels, rakes, and forks
Author:Anneke Jansen van Vuuren
On 19 April 2024, ITAC initiated the sunset review of the anti-dumping duties on garden picks, spades and shovels, rakes and forks originating in or imported from the People’s Republic of China. In June 2023, ITAC…
2024/04/24
Stop focusing on making electric vehicles and focus on selling them
Author:Donald MacKay
We are not going to manufacture electric vehicles (EVs), or their components, in South Africa in the next decade, even if the Electric Vehicles White Paper promises the first electric cars by 2026. This has interesting…
2024/04/21
Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Steps to Safeguard U.S. Steel and Shipbuilding Industries
Author:Surita Preller
On Wednesday 17 April 2024, President Biden called on the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), to triple the tariff rate on Chinese steel and aluminium imports. The current average tariff on Chinese imports under Section 301, on…
2024/04/21
Anti-dumping duties on frozen bone-In chicken portions from the United States extended for another 5 years
Author:Arista Nel
The anti-dumping duties on frozen bone-in chicken portions from the USA remains unchanged at R9.40 per kg for another five years. On November 9, 2022, the Commission initiated this sunset review of the anti-dumping duties on…
2024/04/21
Update to tariff determination rules
Author:Anneke Jansen van Vuuren
On 11 April 2024, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced that it had inserted Rule 4(3D) of the Customs and Excise Act, 1964 relating to the publication of tariff determinations. The updated rule has been…
2024/04/21
Further Duty Reduction on Canned Minced Anchovies Originating from the AFCFTA
Author:Tafara Muguti
On 1 April 2024, ITAC published an amendment on the duty reduction of canned minced anchovies. Following the 1 March 2024 gazette, the recent amendments introduce an additional duty reduction on imports originating from the AFCFTA.…
2024/04/07
Import Duty Adjustments for Various Tariff Headings under AfCFTA
Author:Tafara Muguti
Following South Africa’s implementation of preferential trade under AFCFTA on January 31, 2024, SARS has undertaken the adjustment of duty rates on various tariff headings to align South Africa’s duties with the AFCFTA agreement. On April…
2024/03/24
Application for the creation of a rebate on caustic soda
Author:Arista Nel
African Chemicals has requested a rebate of duty on solid sodium hydroxide (caustic soda), imported under tariff code 2815.11. Caustic soda is a powerful alkaline compound used in various industrial processes, including chemical manufacturing, water treatment,…
2024/03/24
Duty increase application on transformer cores
Author:Arista Nel
STI Electrical has requested an increase in the ad valorem customs duty on imported goods to 15%, instead of the current 5% in South Africa. According to the applicant, this relatively low 5% tariff has posed…
2024/03/17
The import duties on sugar increased. Eventually.
Author:Arista Nel
The sugar duty in South Africa operates through a mechanism known as the Dollar-Based Reference Price (DBRP). This mechanism aims to reflect both global market dynamics and local industry needs. It compensates for situations where international…
2024/03/04
Temporary rebate corrections for imported chicken
Author:Tafara Muguti
In response to disruptions caused by avian influenza and low supply levels of poultry, the Minister of Trade and Industry directed SARS to implement a temporary rebate on chicken imports. This rebate, applicable to heading 0207.1,…
2024/03/04
Duty reduction on canned minced anchovies
Author:Tafara Muguti
On 1 March 2024, ITAC published an amendment on the duty reduction of Canned minced anchovies through the creation of 8-digit tariff lines for the subject product. The newly prescribed duties have decreased from 25% to…
2024/03/04
Tall oil fatty acids rebate approval
Author:Tafara Muguti
On 1 March 2024, ITAC published an amendment granting a full-duty rebate on tall oil fatty acids imports, provided there is no local producer within SACU. Following the closure of Oleo Chemicals, South Africa’s sole domestic…
2024/02/28
XA’s 4th import duty investigation shows an enormous deterioration in the performance of tariff investigations
Author:Donald MacKay
This week we released the 4th XA Import Duty Investigation Report and so many serious concerns are brought to the fore, the most worrying being that the private sector is withdrawing from using all of the…
2024/02/25
Initiation of safeguard measure against the increased imports of certain flat-rolled products of iron, non-alloy steel or other alloy steel
Author:Arista Nel
The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) has initiated a safeguard investigation into hot-rolled steel. The applicant, the South African Iron & Steel Institute (SAISI), represents ArcelorMittal South Africa Limited (AMSA), the major producer…
2024/02/25
Temporary rebate application on domestic ventilating or recycling hoods incorporating a fan
Author:Arista Nel
Defy Appliances (Pty) Ltd has applied for a temporary rebate on domestic ventilating or recycling hoods. These hoods incorporate a fan and may or may not have filters. They fall under tariff subheading 8414.60.20. The reasons…
2024/02/20
Full rebate for styrene-butadiene rubber for use in the manufacture of tyres
Author:Anneke Jansen van Vuuren
After 4 years and 24 days, the rebate for styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) classifiable in tariff subheading HS 4002.19.90, which is used in the manufacturing of tyres was implemented on 16 February 2024. The rebate application was…