DUTY CALLS

Belated 2nd Birthday
Wishes
I missed the second birthday
of both the Customs Duty
Act, 2014 (757 days) and the
Customs Control Act, 2014
(744 days). It’s 4 254 days
since drafting commenced.
Steel Products Tariffs
Itac has called for comment
on its self-initiated tariff
application of the review of the
“general” rate of customs duty
on various downstream steel
products classifiable in tariff
headings: 72.17, 73.07, 73.08,
73.12, 73.18, 73.21, 83.02,
84.18, 84.26, 84.50, 84.51,
85.04, 86.01, 86.07, 86.09 and
94.06.
Itac cites the reasons for the
review as (i) The global steel
crisis is negatively impacting
the entire Southern African
Customs Union (Sacu) steel
value chain; (ii) A number of
Sacu downstream industries
have expressed concerns
regarding the lack of tariff
protection against imports of
finished products that often
come at unsustainably low
prices; and (iii) A competitive
steel value chain that supports
increased beneficiation,
investment and employment
is a key priority for Sacu
development.
Comment is due on 19
August 2016.
Wheat, Maize and
Sugar Tariff Formula
Itac has issued a directive
to review the dollar-based
domestic reference price and
the variable tariff formula
for: (i) Wheat classifiable
in tariff subheadings
1001.91 and 1001.99;
wheaten flour classifiable
in tariff subheadings
1101.00.10 and 1101.00.90;
(ii) Maize classifiable in
tariff subheadings 1005.10
and 1005.90; maize
flour classifiable in tariff
subheading 1102.20; and (iii)
Sugar classifiable in tariff
heading 17.01.
The application –
comments on which must be
submitted in a specific format
– was lodged by the Economic
Development Department
who reasoned that (i) Due
to changed circumstances,
it was deemed appropriate
to evaluate and investigate
the dollar-based reference
price and the variable tariff
formulae for wheat, maize and
sugar and assess, inter alia,
their impact on downstream
products ie, bread, cereal,
maize meal and foodstuffs
containing sugar; and (ii)
The changed circumstances
include drought, shortage and
exchange rate.
Comment is due on 19
August 2016.
Safeguard Public
Interest Hearing
Itac is holding a public interest
hearing on its safeguard
investigation against the
increased imports of certain
flat-rolled products of iron,
non-alloy steel or other alloy
steel (not including stainless
steel), whether or not in
coils (including products
cut-to-length and ‘narrow
strip’), not further worked
than hot-rolled (hot-rolled
flat), not clad, plated or
coated, excluding grainoriented
silicon electrical
steel, classifiable in tariff
subheadings 7208.10,
7208.25, 7208.26, 7208.27,
7208.36, 7208.37, 7208.38,
7208.39, 7208.40, 7208.51,
7208.52, 7208.53, 7208.54,
7208.90, 7211.14, 7211.19,
7225.30 ,7225.40, 7225.99,
7226.91 and 7226.99.
Itac made a preliminary
determination that although
there were unforeseen
developments – which led to
the surge in imports – the
Sacu industry was suffering
serious injury and there was
a causal link between the
serious injury suffered by
the Sacu industry and the
surge in imports. It therefore
decided not to impose
provisional measures.