Sars to police labelling requirements with gusto

DTI will determine whether to seize cargo ALAN PEAT SA REVENUE Service (Sars) has just published its external policy for the administration of labelling requirements for certain textiles, textile articles, clothing and footwear in terms of the Merchandise Marks Act. The major issues highlighted by the policy are: • Labelling requirements; • Exemptions and exclusions from the requirements; • Detention of goods for compliance verification; • Administrative arrangements; • Product coverage in the tariff; and • Minister of trade and industry’s powers. Sars is determined to closely police the labelling issue, according to a freight industry executive. “It has been requested to examine consignments at random on behalf of the department of trade and industry (DTI),” he told FTW, “and to detain any shipments containing goods that do not meet with these requirements. “Details of contraventions are forwarded to the DTI, which then determines whether the cargo is to be seized or not. The DTI has stated that in addition to the seizure of goods, legal proceedings may also be instituted against importers.” The purpose of the Sars customs policy document, according to author, C.C. van Rensburg, is “to provide policy and work procedures for the enforcement of labelling requirements for specific products giving effect to General Notice 1831 of 2006 as published on December 14, 2006 in terms of the Merchandise Marks Act No.17 of 1941.” According to information released to FTW by Riaan de Lange of SA Tariff and Trade Consultants, the General Notice basically demands that labels will “be permanently applied” to the listed products and must have “in a conspicuous and easily legible manner” words stating clearly the country in which the goods were made or produced. This applies to all the products enumerated in the schedule – whether imported or locally produced – and which are sold in the SA market. Added to that, the products must also have care labelling, fibrecontent labelling and – if reconditioned, rebuilt or remade – indicated accordingly. “The reasoning behind this is to enable the public at large to make an informed choice when buying any of the listed products,” said De Lange. “Appeals are also made to the public to buy locally produced textiles, articles of textiles, clothing, shoes and leather goods in order to protect jobs in these sectors.”