On 23 May 2014 Itac announced the proposed increase in the “General” rate of customs duty on paper and paperboard coated, impregnated or covered with plastic classifiable under tariff subheading 4811.59.90; and other paper, paperboard, cellulose fibres classifiable under tariff subheading 4811.90.90 from free of duty to 5% ad valorem by creation of additional 8-digittariff subheadings, as follows:
4811.59.xx ---Paper and paperboard fibres combined with plastic film, printed and the thickness of the plastic film may not exceed fifty microns.
4811.90.xx---Paper and paperboard, cellulose and wadding and webs of cellulose fibres,combined with metal foil, printed and the thickness of the metal foil may not exceed fifteen microns.
The application was lodged by Nampak Flexible Ltd who reasoned that the application was made to bring duty protection for a group of printed laminates between paper, foil and polymers in line with other flexible laminates and close the current loophole whereby these products carry no duty due to the paper components being the thickest components of the construction and all paper products currently carry no duty.
Comment due by 20 June 2014.