DUTY CALLS

SADC MERCOSUR
Implementation
On 21 October 2016 the South
African Revenue Service (Sars)
notified the amendment of (i)
the General Notes to Schedule
No.1 to the Customs and
Excise Act, 1964 (Act, 1964);
(ii) the Ordinary Customs
Duty - Part 1 of Schedule No.1
to Act, 1964; and (iii) the
insertion of Part 7 of Schedule
No.10 to the Act, 1964 to give
effect to the implementation
of the Preferential Trade
Agreement (PTA) between
the Common Market of
the South (MERCOSUR)
and the Southern African
Customs Union (SACU), with
retrospective effect to 01 April
2016.
SACU MERCUSOR Trade
Agreement
The Customs’ division of
Sars (C-Sara) on 14 October
2016 notified the use of
preferential codes for the
SACU MERCUSOR trade
agreement (SMTD), which
is a prerequisite for the
implementation of the SMTD
required on all import
declarations directly after 14
October 2016.
Avail yourself of updates on
the Sars EDI bulletin board.
EU/SADC EPA
On 21 October 2016 Sars
notified the publication
of (i) the General Notes to
Schedule 1 to Act, 1964;
(ii) Amendment of Part
1 of Schedule No.1 to the
Act - fish products; (iii) Part
1 of Schedule No.1 to the
Act - Industrial products;
(iv) Amendment of Schedule
No.10 by the renumbering
of Part 1 as Part 1A and
the insertion of Part 1B to
the Act, 1964 to give effect
to the implementation of
the Economic Partnership
Agreement (EPA) between
the European Union (EU)
and the SADC EPA States,
with retrospective effect to 10
October 2016.
Frozen Potato Chips
Dumping
Sars on 21 October 2016
notified the imposition of
anti-dumping duties on frozen
potato chips originating in, or
imported from, Belgium and
the Netherlands, effective on
the day.
Provisional Payments
External Guides
C-Sars on 17 October 2016
notified six updated Customs
provisional payments (PPs)
external guides, which are (i)
Manual for the Completion
of Declarations; (ii) Manual
for the Completion of the DA
70; (iii) Standard for PPs;
(iv) Standard for Clearance
Declarations; (v) Standard for
Offences and Penalties; and
(vi) Standard for Acquittals.
PPs’ Automation
On 14 October 2016 C-Sars
notified the automation of
PPs for Customs imports
declaration and activation of
preferential codes. Traders
have the option – until 29
October 2016 when the
electronic system will be fully
implemented – to submit a
manual application to make
PPs (DA70 form) at a Customs
branch.
The automation only
applies to PPs for import
declarations relating to (i) PPs
lodged at the time of original
clearance; (ii) PPs lodged for
conditional release of goods
detained; and (iii) PPs lodged
for penalty of forfeiture.
WCO News
The World Customs
Organisation (WCO) released
its WCO News featuring a
special dossier on the 2016
Council Sessions; the latest
developments in its core areas
of work: tariff and trade
affairs, trade facilitation,
enforcement, and capacity
building.
Duty Calls’ Watch List
Comment is due on (i) the
Rules to the Customs Duty
Act, 2014 by 30 November
2016; and (ii) the agricultural
Geographical Indications
(GIs) by 28 October 2016.