WCO Classification
Opinions
The World Customs
Organisation (WCO) on
10 January released the
classification decisions
taken at the 58th session
of its Harmonised System
Committee (HSC) meeting
held from 28 September to
07 October 2016.
The release includes 14 new
classification opinions; 10
sets of amendments to the
HS explanatory notes; as
well as 27 classification
rulings. These relate, among
other things, to seeds of
fruits of the genus capsicum
for sowing; a ready-to-eat
stew preparation containing
dark chocolate and cocoa;
chewable cough and throat
tablets; sugar-coated milk
chocolate sweets put up
for retail sale with sweets
dispensers; ceramic ink;
a “hall element device”;
tube bundle containers
consisting of a number of
cylinders (four or six) used
for the transportation of
compressed natural gas; a
two-wheeled transportation
device (also known as
“hoverboard”); floating
structures; products
presented for use in the field
of trauma surgery for setting
fractures; and a virtual
reality set for a video game
console.
Should you be interested
in receiving copies of (i)
Classification rulings;
(ii) Amendments to
the compendium of
classification opinions;
and amendments to the
explanatory notes, simply
send us an email with “WCO
Classification Opinions” in
subject line.
Tyre Environmental
Levy
On 13 January notification
was received of the proposed
draft amendments to the
rules to the Customs and
Excise Act, 1964 for the
environmental levy on tyres,
on which comment is due
by 15 January. This is the
first notification that I can
recall, but am happy to be
corrected if I’m wrong.
SADC EPA & Mercosur
Comment on the South
African Revenue Service
(Sars) release of 05
December 2016, of the
draft amendment of
rules to the Act, 1964 of
Sections 13, 46A and 49
in respect of the Southern
African Development
Community (SADC)
Economic Partnership
Agreement (EPA);
the Preferential Trade
Agreement (PTA) between
the Common Market of the
South (Mercusor) and the
Southern African Customs
Union (Sacu); and Form
DA185.4A2 – “Registration
Client Type 4A2 – Exporter
(Local or Foreign)”, is due by
20 January.
Protection of
Investment Act
The trade and industry
minister has invited
interested parties to
comment on the draft
regulations on mediation
rules in terms of the
Protection of Investment
Act, 2015 by no later than 29
January.
TFA – 4 to go
On 09 January Saint
Vincent & the Grenadines
became the 106th World
Trade Organisation (WTO)
member to ratify the Trade
Facilitation Agreement
(TFA). Only four more
ratifications for the TFA are
required for it to enter into
force.
106th Kyoto
Convention Accession
The WCO has announced
that Benin on 06 January
acceded to the Revised
Kyoto Convention (RKC),
thereby becoming its 106th
contracting party.
DUTY CALLS
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