WTO Agricultural Permits
On 09 October 2015 DAFF published a notice for the ‘Application of Market Access Permits for Agricultural Products in terms of the WTO Agreement For 2016’. The notice was published in order to fulfil South Africa's commitment under the WTO’s Marrakesh Agreement regarding market access for agricultural products. The import permits to be applied for will only be issued to South African importers that are registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and the South African Revenue Service (Sars).
Application for (i) the first quarter of the quota valid for importation for the period 01 January 2016 to 30 April 2016 is due by 06 November 2015; (ii) For the second quarter of the quota valid for importation for the period 01 April 2016 to 31 July 2016: From 01 to 28 February 2016; (iii) For the third quarter of the quota valid for importation for the period 01 July 2016 to 31 October 2016: From 01 to 31 May 2016; and (iv) For the last quarter of the quota valid for importation for the period 01 October 2016 to 31 January 2017: From 01 to 31 August 2016.
Iceland 103rd RKC Contracting Party
The World Customs Organisation (WCO) on 08 October 2015 announced that the Republic of Iceland had acceded to the International Convention on the Simplification and Harmonisation of Customs Procedures (Revised Kyoto Convention or RKC), which will enter into force for Iceland on 08 January 2016. The RKC is the international standard for making Customs regulatory procedures as efficient and effective as possible.
