Customs Duty Act Workshop On 08 September 2015 the South African Revenue Service (Sars) invited two representatives per company to attend a ‘workshop session’ on the comments received on the draft rules to chapters 1, 3 to 9 and 11 to 13 of the Customs Duty Act, 2014. The draft rules were circulated on 08 May 2015 – four months ago. [This is the second workshop for 2015 and the fifth to date. On 23 April, chapters 32 to 41 of the Customs Control Act; 11 December 2014, chapters 21 to 23, and 25 to 31 of the Customs Control Act; 26 November 2014, Chapters 11 to 20 and 24 of the Customs Control Act; and 29 August 2014, Chapters 1 and 3 to 10 of the Customs Control Act.] The workshop is scheduled for 10:00-12:00 on 23 September at Sars’ Linton House Auditorium, in Pretoria. Aluminium Plate Tariff The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) has invited comment on the proposed increase in the ‘general’ rate of customs duty on certain aluminium plates, sheets, strips and foil products classifiable under tariff heading 7606 and 7607 from free of customs duty to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) bound rate of customs duty of 15% ad valorem. The application was lodged by Hulamin Operations (Pty) Ltd who, amongst other things, reasoned that imported sheet, plate and foil products into the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) market had been increasing in volume over the past few years and the result was that Hulamin’s share of the market had been declining, and overreliance on export sales had resulted in lower profit margins because of escalating outbound logistics costs. Comment is due on 09 October 2015. Tariff Amendments – Comment due Sars on 10 September 2015 published a proposed amendment to Schedule No 1 to the Customs and Excise Act, 1964 that a distinction be made in tariff subheading 2004.10 between processed potatoes on an 8-digit level for statistical purposes. The deletion of tariff subheadings 2004.10.20 (chips or french fries) and 2004.10.90 (other). The insertion of tariff subheadings 2004.10.2 (chips or french fries); 2004.10.21 (prevented from discolouration by coating of oil, frozen but not further prepared or processed); 2004.10.29 (other); 2004.10.9 (other:); 2004.10.91 (wedges or other cuts or slices and whole potatoes, prevented from discolouration by a coating of oil, frozen but not further prepared or processed); and 2004.10.99 (Other). In addition, proposed amendments to Schedule No2 Part 3 to the Act – safeguards duties are proposed. Comment is due by 25 September 2015.
