Factually, it should be “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!!!” – which originated in the mid-nineteenth century in the US when newspaper hawkers shouted about urgent breaking news. The addition and repetition of the word ‘extra’ was to accentuate that it was a special or limited-run newspaper edition that was printed outside regular hours to report major events.

I vividly recall, as a student, watching a late-night movie show at one of the 11 movie theatres of the now-defunct Sterland, in Arcadia, Pretoria, and, upon leaving after pumpkin hour, buying the early edition of The Sunday Times. Later that morning – much, much later – an updated edition would be available, with either a different front page or a cover wrap page called ‘Extra’.

Once you finished reading, you could decide whether this was an ‘extra’ or whether you had read it before. Whether you had read it before would depend on whether the Government Gazette was your favourite or regular reading material.

In the Government Gazette of March 19, the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) extended an invitation to comment on an application by the South African Pulp and Paper Industries, better known by its acronym, Sappi, for an increase in the ‘general’ rate of customs duty on newsprint, in rolls or sheets, from free of duty to 5% ad valorem. The deadline for the submission of comment is April 16.

Yes, ‘newsprint’ – and this begs the question: When last did you read an actual newspaper rather than in digital format? A secondary question is: Why only a 5% increase? To answer these questions definitively, you would need to know the binding rate for newsprint.

To ensure that we are on the same page – pun intended! – what is newsprint? It is a low-cost, non-archival and highly recyclable paper primarily made from wood pulp, designed for high-speed printing presses and used for short-term applications, owing to its tendency to yellow and become brittle over time. If you are of a certain age, you may have eaten the best fish and chips wrapped in an old newspaper.

The answers can be found in Sappi’s reasoning – which Itac calls ‘motivation’ – for the tariff application. Four motivations are offered. In the first instance, globally, the newsprint market has been in prolonged decline, driven primarily by digital migration, which has reduced demand for paper publications. Despite this trend, newsprint remains an important medium in developing countries such as South Africa, where electronic connectivity is not universal.

Secondly, amid global overcapacity and rising low-priced imports, Sappi’s Ngodwana Mill (PM2 machine) has sustained persistent financial losses. Without the requested tariff intervention, the continued viability of South African newsprint manufacturing is at significant risk.

Thirdly, protection against low-priced imported newsprint is critical to maintaining the PM2 machine operations, safeguarding associated employment, and supporting the national economy. The PM2 machine is the only operational newsprint facility in South Africa and the Southern African Customs Union region.

Finally, therefore, this application seeks to ensure the long-term viability of newsprint manufacturing by the PM2 machine, while allowing Sappi to expand into alternative packaging products.

How long will it be before Sappi knows the outcome of the Itac investigation? That depends on who you ask. Itac states in its ‘Tariff Investigations’ booklet: “The commission carries out its investigations speedily and with rigour. The timelines have been revised to ensure speedy delivery of the instruments. It now takes the commission generally four months for sectors in distress and six months for normal investigations.”

This is the polar opposite to what Engineering News & Mining Weekly reported on September 23, 2025: “Tariff investigations now taking 27 months on average to complete, the report shows”. So, depending on your glass content persuasion, the outcome of Sappi’s application will be available on August 16, or October 16 this year, or July 16, 2028, not accounting for the Trade, Industry and Competition Minister’s sign-off time.

As for the four motivations, will 5% really cut the mustard? It warrants repeating that Adam Smith argued that customs duties should be used only for revenue generation, not as a tool for economic manipulation.