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Comments on proposed tariff amendments invited

26th September 2014

By: Callie Lombard

  

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On September 10, the South African Revenue Service published the draft customs tariff phase-downs for 2015 in terms of Schedule No 1, Part 1, of the Customs and Excise Act (ordinary customs duty), and proposed amendments to Schedule No 2 of the Act (antidumping duties, countervailing duties and safeguards), to Schedule No 3 of the Act (industrial rebates of customs duties) and to Schedule No 4 of the Act (general rebates of customs duties, fuel levy and environmental levy).

Comments are due by October 8.

The proposed amendments to Schedule No 1 (with one exception) and Schedule No 4 of the Act are to be introduced on January 1, 2015, and Schedule No 2 on February 1, 2015. The proposed amendments to Schedule No 3 will be introduced with retrospective effect from December 7, 2012.

The draft amendment to Schedule No 1, Part 1, of the Act relates to the tariff phase-down under the European Free Trade Association Free Trade Agreement, as well as the reduction in the rate of customs duty on paper and paperboard, classifiable in tariff subheading 4811.41.90. There are also draft technical amendments and the creation of separate eight-digit tariff subheadings for goods classifiable in chapters 4, 15, 30, 32, 33, 38, 39, 70 and 85. There is also the proposal for the creation of separate eight-digit tariff subheadings for goods classifiable under tariff subheading 0207.1 (chicken meat), which is intended for implementation from February 1, 2015.

The aim of the proposed amendments to Schedule No 2 of the Act is to delete Antidumping Item 201.02/0207.14.90/01.08 and insert antidumping items 201.02/0207.14.91/01.08, 201.02/0207.14.93/01.08, 201.02/0207.14.95/01.08, 201.02/0207.14.96/01.08, 201.02/0207.14.97/01.08, 201.02/0207.14.98/01.08 and 201.02/0207.14.99/01.08. In the instance of countervailing, the aim is to delete countervailing items 235.00 and 235.01 as they have become redundant.

The proposed amendments to Schedule No 3 of the Act will entail the deletion of rebate item 302.02/7010.90/01.05 to correct the rebate code applicable to a six-digit code and rebate item 306.14/12.01/01.04 as the expiry date was June 30, 2011. Also proposed is the substitution of Rebate Item 311.03 to read “Industry: Textile Weaving”, intended implementation with retrospective effect from December 7, 2012.

Export Readiness Training
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has extended an invitation to exporters to attend its Introduction to Exporting Training sessions, which aim to prepare small and medium-sized enterprises for the successful expansion of their businesses into international markets. The four-day sessions form part of the DTI’s Export Development Programme and is the next step in the export-readiness process, following on the Export Awareness workshops.

The programme will cover aspects such as the international trading environment, international commercial terms, the principles and fundamentals of foreign market research and the concept of export cultural barriers. The aim is to capacitate companies to be export ready, preparing them to meaningfully exploit export opportunities. There is no cost to participate in the programme, but only those companies with export potential will be selected. Fifty suitable companies will be accommodated on a first come, first served basis. The training is scheduled to take place in five locations across South Africa.

Chicken Meat Levy
On September 12, the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), in terms of the Marketing of Agricultural Product Act, invited comments on the establishment of statutory measures relating to levies, registration, and records and returns on imported chicken products. These were to be submitted by September 19.

According to the notice, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries had received a request from the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE) for the establishment of statutory measures relating to levies, registration, the keeping of records and rendering of returns. The applicant for the proposed statutory measures is the AMIE, an association founded in 1996, which was established owing to a need by meat and poultry importers and exporters for a mouthpiece to speak on their behalf and to look after the interests of its members.

The AMIE proposed a statutory levy of 2c/kg (excluding value-added tax) on imported chicken products, classifiable under tariff subheading 0207.12.10, 0207.12.20, 0207.12.90, 0207.14.10, 0207.14.20 and 0207.14.90.

On August 19, the NAMC had discussions with the AMIE and the South African Poultry Association. Eventually, it was decided to adhere to the original request of the AMIE, namely to make it possible for trade promotions to be financed through the proposed statutory levy income. Trade promotions will facilitate the importation of certain chicken products and, where possible, the export of other chicken products. The estimated income from the proposed statutory levies is between R5.1-million (for 2014/15) and R5.9-million (for 2017/18) a year. The proposed statutory levies will finance the following functions: trade promotions; quality control and consumer assurance; liaison, including consumer education; transformation in the industry; research and development; and administration.

Waste and Scrap Metal
The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa informed on September 2 of the Amended Export Control Guidelines on the Exportation of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Waste and Scrap.

The products, with the tariff subheading in brackets, are ferrous waste and scrap, and remelting scrap ingots of iron or steel (7204); copper waste and scrap (7404.00); nickel waste and scrap (7503.00); aluminium waste and scrap (7602.00); lead waste and scrap (7802.00); zinc waste and scrap (7902.00); tin waste and scrap (8002.00); tungsten (Wolfram) waste and scrap (8101.97); molybdenum waste and scrap (8102.97); tantalum waste and scrap (8103.30); magnesium waste and scrap (8104.20); cadmium waste and scrap (8107.30); antimony waste and scrap (8110.20); manganese waste and scrap (8111.00); and beryllium, chromium, germanium, vanadium, gallium, hafnium, indium, niobium (columbium) rhenium and thallium waste and scrap (81.12).

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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