Import and export control fees – comment due On 16 September, the Economic Development Department called for comment – due by 3 October – on the Administrative Fees Regulations. The administrative fees payable by an applicant for a permit issued by Import and Export Control are R900.00 respectively per import permit and export permit. The purpose of the regulations is to prescribe fees that are payable when applying for a permit to Import and Export Control. The fees are payable to the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) when applying for a permit. They are non-refundable, including where an application for a permit is rejected at any time after its submission. A fee increase will be effective on 1 April of each year.
Wheat and wheaten flour tariff reduction On 20 September, Itac announced an increase in the existing variable tariff formula on wheat and wheaten flour in Part 1 of Schedule No 1 to the Customs and Excise Act, 1964, ‘Ordinary Customs Duty’, the reasoning for which is contained in Itac Minute 06/2019. The rates of customs duty relate to General, the European Union (EU), the European Free Trade Agreement (Efta), and Mercosur. The reduction in the rate of customs duty on tariff subheadings 1001.91 (Seed) and 1001.99 (Other) from 95.80c/kg to 66.47c/kg and tariff subheadings 1101.00.10 (Brown wheaten meal produced by the milling of whole grains – the bran, germ and endosperm – excluding separated wheat bran, separated wheat germ or separated wheat semolina or endosperm), 1101.00.20 (Cake wheat flour as defined in Additional Note 1(a) to Chapter 11), 1101.00.30 (White bread wheat flour as defined in Additional Note 1(a) to Chapter 11), and 1101.00.90 (Other) from 143.69c/kg to 99.71c/kg. The rate of customs duty for the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is free of customs duty (0%).
Piped-gas and petroleum pipelines – comment due On 13 September, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) called for comment – due by 13 October – on the proposed levies on the piped-gas and petroleum pipeline industries for the 2020/21 financial year.
Incoterms® 2020 launched The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has launched its latest iteration of Incoterms – Incoterms® 2020 – its renowned trade terms for the sale of goods, providing certainty and clarity to business and traders everywhere. The Incoterms® rules were first introduced by the ICC in 1936 to establish commonly accepted definitions and rules related to the delivery of goods between trading partners worldwide. Since then, the ICC has periodically revised the Incoterms® rules to reflect changes in the international trade system.
Medium-term budget policy statement On 19 September, National Treasury announced that Parliament had, at the request of the Minister of Finance, confirmed 30 October as the date for the medium-term budget policy statement (MTBPS).