Increase in Rate of Duty on Sugar The European Free Trade Area (EFTA), European Union (EU), the General, and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) rates of customs duty on sugar have been increased from free of duty to 1.3c/kg. Customs Bill – Definitely, Maybe, One Day The South African Revenue Service (Sars) recently provided an update on the progress of the Customs Bill to Business Unity South Africa. According to Marina van Twisk, the internal and Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) review process of the draft Customs Bill is taking much longer than expected. Many comments have apparently been received and Sars is now in the process of redrafting the Bill, which is expected to take up to six months to complete. Following this, there will then be a further round of internal (within Sars) as well as Sacu consultations. Van Twisk confirmed to Busa that the third draft of the Customs Bill would then be made available to external stakeholders, including the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). It is understood that may only be in the second half of 2009. Readers will recall that the process of the redrafting of the Customs and Excise Act commenced in 2003. Dumping Investigations Surge By 39% The World Trade Organisation (WTO) announced a 39% surge in the initiation of anti-dumping investigations for the period 01 January to 30 June, in comparison with the same period last year. Turkey reported the most initiations, with 13, the United States 12, India 11, and Argentina and the European Communities 10 each. South Africa initiated one investigation. China was subject to 37 investigations initiated against it, followed by Thailand (7), the European Communities and Indonesia (5 each). South Africa was subject to only one. As for the imposition of final anti-dumping duties, India imposed 16, the European Communities eight, Indonesia five, Argentina, China and Ukraine four, Brazil and South Africa three each. This confirms the dramatic reduction in the number of anti-dumping initiations being undertaken by the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac). You may also want to consider the number of anti-dumping and countervailing investigations that Itac reported in its Annual Report 2007/2008 for the period 01 April 2007 to 31 March 2008, in which it listed the initiation of 15 investigations compared to its target of 31.
