Sugar formula tariff
On 08 June the South African Revenue Service (Sars) announced an increase in the rates of customs duty on sugar, classifiable under tariff subheadings 1701.12, 1701.13, 1701.14, 1701.91 and 1701.99, in terms of the variable tariff formula. The reasoning for the increase – the General, the European Union (EU), the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and MERCOSUR – is in the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) minute 05/2018. Effective on 08 June. The rates of customs duty on “beet sugar”, classifiable under tariff subheading 1701.12, the rates of customs duty on “cane sugar specified in Subheading Note 2 to this Chapter”, classifiable under tariff subheading 1701.13, the rates of customs duty on “Other cane sugar”, classifiable under tariff subheading 1701.14, the rates of customs duty on sugar “containing added flavouring or colouring matter”, classifiable under tariff subheading 1701.91, and the rates of customs duty on “other sugar”, classifiable under tariff subheading 1701.99, have been increased from 213.1c/kg to 233.81c/ kg.
WCO advancing gender equality
From 23 May to 01 June the World Customs Organisation (WCO), under the framework of the government of Finland’s East and Southern Africa (ESA) Programme II, piloted a workshop to test and finalise the development of a training package on how to advance gender equality in customs administrations. The workshop, hosted at the Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Pretoria, was attended by participants from Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The workshop constitutes an important WCO milestone, as it is the first time that the WCO has developed a complete training package focusing on gender equality in customs. The WCO training package aims to support customs administrations in implementing gender mainstreaming while addressing the links between gender equality, customs reform and modernisation. Although it primarily targets the ESA region, it is understood that it is the WCO’s intention that the e-material will be made available to all WCO members once it has been developed, which is expected to be by the end of 2018. The training package includes two tracks, namely a one-week training module targeting middle and senior managers focusing on human resource management and gender mainstreaming, and a broader e-learning module focusing on raising general awareness on gender equality, targeting all customs officers. According to the WCO, the workshop allows participants to strengthen their knowledge on gender equality by linking to good governance and organisational performance. The workshop also addressed the importance of monitoring and evaluation as an essential part of ensuring sustainable implementation of gender responsive policies.
Duty Calls’ Watchlist
Comment is due on the safeguard investigation of screws fully threaded with hexagon heads by 20 June; and the anti-dumping sunset review on unframed glass mirrors by 18 June.
