DUTY CALLS

TFA – 10 to go
Mongolia on 29 November
became the 100th country
to ratify the World Trade
Organsation (WTO) Trade
Facilitation Agreement
(TFA), with only 10 more
ratifications needed for the
TFA to enter into force.
South Africa and Namibia
remain the sole Southern
African Customs Union
(Sacu) members that have
not ratified the TFA and it's
not envisaged that South
Africa will.
The TFA implementation
is expected to reduce WTO
members’ trade costs by an
average of 14.3%, making it
the most significant tariff
and trade development for
2017.
Flat-rolled steel
products rebates
On 02 December Sars
announced the insertion of
rebate provisions (rebate
items) for the importation
of flat-rolled steel products
of iron or non-alloy steel.
The tariff amendments
are in respect of Part 2
“Temporary Rebates of
Customs Duties” of Schedule
No 4 to the Act, 1964
“General Rebates of Customs
Duties, Fuel Levy and
Environmental Levy” and
see the insertion of rebate
items 460.15/7210.61/01.06
and 460.15/7210.70/01.06 for
which the extent of rebate is
full duty.
The rebate items read:
460.15/7210.61/01.06 “Flat
rolled products of iron or
non-alloy steel, of a width of
600 mm or more, plated or
coated with aluminium-zinc
alloys, in such quantities,
at such times and subject
to such conditions as
the International Trade
Administration Commission
may allow by specific permit,
provided the products are
not available in the Sacu
market.”
460.15/7210.70/01.06
“Flat rolled products of
iron or non-alloy steel,
of a width of 600 mm or
more, painted, varnished or
coated with plastics, in such
quantities, at such times and
subject to such conditions
as the International Trade
Administration Commission
may allow by specific permit,
provided the products are
not available in the Sacu
market.”
Acrylic sanitary
ware duty
Sars on 02 December
advised of an increase in the
“General” and Mercosur rates
of customs duty on acrylic
sanitary ware classifiable in
tariff subheading 3922.10
4 to the Customs and
Excise Act, 1964 – “Baths,
shower-baths, sinks and
wash-basins” – to 30% ad
valorem. The rates of customs
duty from the European
Union (EU), European Free
Trade Association (Efta)
and the Southern African
Development Community
(SADC) remain unchanged at
0% or free.
Sars’ 2016/17 January
commitments
In accordance with Sars'
xviii “Increased Customs
and Excise Compliance
Commitments” for its
2016/17 financial year,
released on 05 September
2016, for January 2017 its
commitment is to “Enhance
the quality of inspections and
audit to effectively address
detected noncompliance” (viii)
Implement a new enforcement
workflow module by January
2017 that will enhance
traceability of manually
triggered risk interventions
initiated by Customs officials
at the various ports of entry.
This the first of the six
commitments scheduled
by the end of March 2017.
After these six only one of
the 18 commitments remain,
scheduled for conclusion by
the end of February 2018.
HS2017 – Prepare for it
On 02 December the South
African Revenue Service (Sars)
announced the Harmonised
System (HS) 2017 tariff
amendments, which will enter
into force on 01 January 2017.