Rebate Guidelines The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) on 23 January 2015 released guidelines on the application of the rebate of the customs duty in terms of six Rebate Items in Schedules No 3, 4 and 5 to the Customs and Excise Act (No 91 of 1964). According to the release, applications submitted for permits in terms of the Rebate Items (provisions) will be dealt with in accordance with the specification related to the applicable guideline and must be submitted in accordance with the application form. Itac has pointed out that the permits should be applied for and received by the organisation before the goods are shipped. The guidelines are: (i) Guidelines, rules and conditions pertaining to rebate items 460.06/2903/02.00 or 460.06/3817/01.00 for tetrachloroethylene and mixed alkyl benzenes; (ii) Guidelines, rules and conditions pertaining to rebate item 306.15/2815.11/01.06 for solid sodium hydroxide for use in the extraction of uranium oxide; (iii) Guidelines, rules and conditions pertaining to rebate item 460.07/3920.49/01.06 or 460.07/3920.49/02.06 for the anti-dumping duty on plates, sheets, film, foil and strip of polymers of vinyl chloride (PVC); (iv) Guidelines, rules and conditions pertaining to permits issued under rebate item 306.01/2815.11/02.06 for solid sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) classifiable under tariff subheading 2815.11, for use in the manufacture of sodium metasilicates, classifiable under tariff subheading 2839.11. Export of Rooibos The Executive Officer: Agricultural Product Standard, in terms of the Agricultural Product Standards Act, through a notice in the Government Gazette of 23 January 2015, announced the amendment of the standards and requirements regarding control of the export of rooibos and rooibos mixtures. (Tariff subheading 0902.40) The proposed amendments are available for inspection at the office of the executive officer or at www.daff.gov.za and will come into operation on 30 January 2015. NRCS The fundamental principles of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreements are the equal treatment and competition of domestic and imported products. This also applies to the conformity assessment bodies (laboratories and certification schemes) recognised by the NRCS to provide reliable proof of conformity of products to the applicable compulsory specifications. The National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications (NRCS) will accept test reports from any conformity assessment body, local or foreign, that meets its requirements. The NRCS approves products that meet with the requirements of applicable compulsory specifications. Letters of Authority (LOAs) are issued to manufacturers and importers as soon as the requirements have been met in order that the products can be imported or offered for sale. Duty Calls Watch List Comment on the fourth batch of the draft Customs Control Rules of the Customs Control Act No 31 of 2014 for Chapters 32 to 41 is due by 30 January 2015.
