Customs and Excise: Milestones This year customs duty, one of the oldest taxes in South Africa, celebrates 336 years (introduced in 1678) and excise duty 136 years (introduced in 1878). Frozen Potato Chips Safeguard All expectations are that, by the time you read this column, the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu) will, after an absence of nearly four years, have its second ever definitive safeguard measure, this time on frozen potato chips. The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) initiated its very first safeguard investigation in respect of lysine on 11 May 2007 and on the day also imposed a provisional safeguard measure (provisional payment), which expired on 11 April 2010. In its current investigation however, Itac did not impose a provisional safeguard measure on the initiation of the investigation. The investigation was initiated on 23 November 2012, terminated on 08 March 2013, and reinitiated on the same day. A provisional safeguard measure of 61.42% was imposed on 05 July 2013, and amended on 06 September 2013. The provisional safeguard measure was imposed up to and including 20 January 2014, when the investigation had to be concluded. With the finalisation of the safeguard investigation, the antidumping investigation continues, with a provisional determination expected in the first quarter of the the year. Customs Day – 26 January 2014 The Customs Co-operation Council (CCC), commonly known as World Customs Organisation (WCO), has dedicated 2014 to the promotion of communication under the slogan “Communication: sharing information for better cooperation.” Duty Calls’ Watch List The anti-dumping and countervailing measures on wire ropes and cables imported from or originating in Germany, India, Korea (South), People’s Republic of China and the United Kingdom are set to expire on 12 February 2014 unless Sunset Review investigations are initiated. Comment on the Promotion and Protection of Investment Bill, 2013 is due by 01 February 2014. TWiT In future columns we will from time to time remind you of what happened, “This Week in Trade”. Where the exact date is not known, it will be included in the first column of the month. The period this week is from 18 to 24 January. January 1920 saw the launch of the League of Nations (today the United Nations) while the fourth round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) commenced in January 1956. On 25 January 2000 the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Trade Protocol entered into force; on 22 January 2003 the International Trade Administration (ITA) Act, 2002 (Act No. 71 of 2002) was published in the Government Gazette; and in January 2005 the drafting of the Customs Duty Bill and Customs Control Bill commenced.
