Duty increase application on conical steel drums
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…
Rebate application on palm oils and their fractions
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…
Trade Brief 5: Medical masterplan and American duties on China
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…
South Africa’s WTO disputes against EU measures on citrus: throwing stones in a glass house
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…
The clothing manufacturing sector is shedding jobs not creating them
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…
ITAC Update: Temporary rebate for roller bearing components
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…
Cosatu, stop shouting and give a useful recommendation to reduce unemployment
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…
Initiation of anti-dumping sunset review on garden picks, spades and shovels, rakes, and forks
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…
Stop focusing on making electric vehicles and focus on selling them
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…
Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Steps to Safeguard U.S. Steel and Shipbuilding Industries
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…
Anti-dumping duties on frozen bone-In chicken portions from the United States extended for another 5 years
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…
Update to tariff determination rules
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…
Further Duty Reduction on Canned Minced Anchovies Originating from the AFCFTA
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.…
Import Duty Adjustments for Various Tariff Headings under AfCFTA
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…
Application for the creation of a rebate on caustic soda
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,…
Duty increase application on transformer cores
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…
The import duties on sugar increased. Eventually.
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…
Temporary rebate corrections for imported chicken
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,…
Duty reduction on canned minced anchovies
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…
Tall oil fatty acids rebate approval
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…
XA’s 4th import duty investigation shows an enormous deterioration in the performance of tariff investigations
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…
Initiation of safeguard measure against the increased imports of certain flat-rolled products of iron, non-alloy steel or other alloy steel
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…
Temporary rebate application on domestic ventilating or recycling hoods incorporating a fan
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…
Full rebate for styrene-butadiene rubber for use in the manufacture of tyres
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…
Implementation of final anti-dumping duties on galvanised flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel
On Friday, 16 February the anti-dumping duties on flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, otherwise plated or coated with zinc, of a thickness of less than 0,45…
The Competition Commission’s Poultry Market Inquiry – Insights into a Vital Industry
On 6 February 2024, the Competition Commission gave notice that it will conduct a comprehensive market inquiry into South Africa’s poultry industry value chain – the Poultry Market Inquiry (PMI). This is initiated under section 43B(1)(a)…
The uncounted cost of being a member of Brics
When we first cracked the nod to add the ‘s’ to Bric in 2010, only SA’s politicians cared and it remained so until Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Despite the rhetoric about the economic miracles…
Amendment to the anti-dumping duties on tyres, imported from Cooper (Kunshan) Tire, in China
On 2 February 2024, ITAC published an amendment to the existing anti-dumping duties on specific types of tyres imported from China. While the overall duty rates remain unchanged, updates were made to the list of producers…
Temporary rebate created for imported chicken
On 26 January 2024, SARS created a temporary rebate for chicken imports classified under subheading 0207.1. This follows an instruction from Minister Patel in October 2023 to urgently investigate the possibility of rebating the duties on…
Full-duty rebate on titanium dioxide approved
On 29 January 2024, SARS amended Part 1 of Schedule No. 3, by creating a full-duty rebate on titanium dioxide classifiable under tariff subheading 3206.11, for use in the manufacture of white masterbatch, classifiable in tariff…