The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa extended an invitation to comment on the proposed increase in the ‘General’ rate of customs duty on ‘Grooved couplings, for a pipe with an outside diameter of 42mm or more but not exceeding 324mm, classifiable in tariff subheading 7307.11.90, by the creation of a separate tariff subheading for the said products’; and ‘Other cast grooved couplings, for a pipe with an outside diameter of 42mm or more but not exceeding 324 mm, classifiable in tariff subheadings 7307.19.80 and 7307.19.90, by the creation of a separate tariff subheading for the said products’, on which comment is due by 16 May 2025.
The application was lodged by Rand York Castings (Pty) Ltd who offered the following reasoning:
- Currently, the market for grooved couplings is fully serviced by imports following the discontinuation of local manufacturing activities. Despite our attempts to re-enter the market, increased challenges, including increased competition from low-priced imports, have prevented it from doing so;
- The initiation of grooved couplings manufacturing in South Africa holds the promise of securing local supply for infrastructure projects, both within the country and across the continent; and
- Tariff support is essential, not only due to its potential to enhance the domestic industry’s price competitiveness against foreign competition, but also to facilitate entry into the broader African market, especially in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement.