Duty Calls

31 Mar 2017 - by Riaan de Lange

US Chicken dumping

On 24 March the

International Trade

Administration Commission

of South Africa (Itac)

initiated a sunset review

of anti-dumping duties on

frozen bone-in portions of

chickens (fowls of species

gallus domesticus) imported

from or originating in the

United States of America, on

which comment is due by 24

April.

The application was lodged

by the South African Poultry

Association, RCL Foods (Pty)

Ltd [previously Rainbow

Chicken] and AFGRI Poultry

(Pty) Ltd who together

constituted 71.42% of the

Southern African Customs

Union (Sacu) industry’s

production from 01 July 2015

to 30 June 2016.

The alleged dumping

relates to tariff headings

0207.14.91 (whole bird

cut-in half); 0207.14.93

(leg quarters); 0207.14.95

(wings); 0207.14.96

(breasts); 0207.14.97

(thighs); 0207.14.98

(drumsticks); and 0207.14.99

(other).

The investigation period

for dumping is from 01 July

2015 to 30 June 2016, and

the material injury is for the

period of 01 July 2013 to 30

June 2016.

Sugar formula tariff

increase

The South African

Revenue Service (Sars) on

24 March announced the

implementation on the day

of an increase in all the rates

of customs duty on sugar

from free of duty to 63.63c/

kg, in terms of the existing

variable tariff formula as

recommended in Itac minute

M08/2016.

The increase relates to

tariff subheadings 1701.12

(beet sugar); 1701.13

(cane sugar specified in

Subheading Note 2 to

this Chapter); 1701.14

(other cane sugar); 1701.91

(containing added flavouring

or colouring matter); and

1701.99 (other).

Heavy motor vehicles

rebate

On 24 March Sars

announced the

insertion of rebate item

317.06/00.00/06.00

and refund item

536.00/00.00/04.00 to

provide for the customs

duty-free importation

of components for heavy

motor vehicles used in the

manufacture of original

equipment components

(OEC) which are approved

by Itac.

The extent of rebate is

full duty, and the rebate

item and refund item were

implemented on the day.

Maize and wheat

comments

The National Agricultural

Marketing Council (NAMC)

on 24 March extended an

invitation for comment, due

by 07 April, to the maize

and wheat industries on the

proposed amendment of the

statutory measures relating

to imports and exports.

Customs Duty Act

turns 1 000

This coming Wednesday, 05

April, will mark 1 000 days

since the publicaton of the

Customs Duty Act, 2014.

A mere 13 days later the

Customs Control Act,

2014 will follow suit.

Although these Acts have

not entered into force,

they have been subject to

amendments proposed in

terms of the Taxation Laws

Amendment Bills of 2016,

2015 and 2014.

Duty Calls Watch List

Comment on National

Treasury and Sars’ ‘Review

of the Diesel Fuel Tax

Refund System’ is due by

15 May; South Africa’s

WTO technical barrriers to

trade (TBT) notification on

bananas by 16 April; and

Itac’s application for the

proposed customs duty rates

adjustment of certain dairy

products to the World Trade

Organisation (WTO) bound

rates is due by 14 April.