A weekly summary of the main changes to the South African tariff dispensation and amendments to customs and excise legislation. Compiled by Riaan de Lange.
E-mail: riaan.de.lange@za.pwc.com Pricewaterhouse Coopers Customs & International Trade (CIT) consultancy
Countervailing (Anti-subsidy) Regulations published for Comment
In the Government Gazette of 20 August 2004, the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (ITAC) published draft Countervailing (Anti-subsidy) Regulations for public comment. In essence a countervailing duty is a customs duty imposed to off-set the benefit conferred by a subsidy.
Comments due to ITAC by no later than 20 September 2004.
No Rule Amendments
- 17 September
No Tariff Amendments
- 17 September
Tariff Amendments
- 16 September
The general and European Union (EU) rates of customs duty (duty) on festive, carnival and other entertainment articles (excluding articles for Christmas festivities) are reduced from 30% ad valorem to free.
On rebate item 316.01/6806.10/01.06, provision is made for a rebate of the full duty on ceramic fibre mineral wool consisting of alumino-silicates, in rolls of sheets, with a mass of
1 000g/m2 or more, for press-cutting into shapes, for use in the manufacture of catalytic converters of tariff subheading 8421.39.
Tariff Amendments
- 15 September
The general and EU rates of duty on chopped strands of a length not exceeding 50mm and on rovings classifiable under tariff subheadings 7019.11 and 7019.12.90 are reduced from 16% ad valorem to free. In view of this reduction in the rates of duty, the tariff structure is being simplified by deleting subheadings 7019.12.10 and 7019.12.90.
The amendment of the provisions for parts of gearboxes and drive-axles which are not in conformity with the scope of tariff subheadings 8708.40 and 8708.50 to the South African Harmonised Customs Tariff (Tariff), are now brought in line with the tariff. The tariff subheadings in question are 8708.40.30, 8708.40.40, 8708.40.50, 8708.40.90, 8708.50.15, 8708.50.30, 8708.99.60, 8708.99.70, and 8708.99.80.
Additional Notes 1 and 2 to Chapter 98 of the tariff are amended to align them with the legislative changes which occurred with the establishment of ITAC.
Tariff Application
- Response due
Reduction in the duty on air springs, classifiable under tariff subheading 8716.90 and 8708.99.90, from 15% ad valorem and 20% ad valorem respectively to free of duty. The application was lodged by BPW Axles (Pty) Ltd which stated that there was no Southern African Customs Union (SACU) manufacturer of air springs and the duty payable was increasing the already high cost to import the product.
Response due by
22 October 2004.
Reduction in the duty on preparations put up as mollusk food from 20 per cent ad valorem to free by amending the existing scope of tariff subheading 2309.90.15.
The application was lodged by the Marine Growers (Pty) Ltd reasoning that the abalone feed produced in the SACU was not suitable for abalone production in the warm waters of the Eastern Cape. According to them, the feed produced in the SACU is recommended for use in water temperatures lower than 18 degrees Celsius, for better digestion of the feed.
Response due by
1 October 2004.
No Anti-dumping Amendments
- 17 September
Anti-dumping Applications - No Response due
Note: This is a non comprehensive statement of the law.
No liability can be accepted for errors and omissions.
