Does CHiPs ring a bell? It may if you are old enough to remember the introduction of television in South Africa in January 1976. This acronym stands for California Highway Patrol.

CHiPs is an American television drama series produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (now owned by Turner Entertainment) that originally aired on National Broadcasting Company from September 15, 1977, to July 17, 1983. If my memory serves me correctly, it also aired in South Africa in 1979 and in the early 1980s. It is presently being aired on one of the DStv channels. The series ran for 139 episodes over six years, following the lives of two motorcycle police officers: Francis Poncherello ‘Ponch’ and Jonathan ‘Jon’ Baker.

Well, why am I telling you all this? I thought that, rather than subjecting you to yet another clinical introduction to the trade remedy investigations (safeguard and anti-dumping) pertaining to frozen potato chips, I should start by talking about another sort of CHiPs.

Back to reality, January 20 was the last day on which the provisional safeguard was to be in operation (imposed up to and including January 20), after which it had to be finalised, possibly through the imposition of a final safeguard (at the time of writing no notification had been published). If imposed, the safeguard would be South Africa’s second ever, following nearly four years after the first one. The safeguard would, however, not be applicable to all countries, with developing countries being excluded. The countries excluded from this safeguard would be announced in a Government Gazette notice. As for the antidumping investigation, the notification of the provisional determination is expected during the first quarter of this year.

The safeguard investigation was initiated on November 23, 2012, terminated on March 8, 2013, and reinitiated on the same day. A provisional safeguard measure of 61.42% was imposed on July 5, 2013, and amended on September 6, 2013. The provisional safeguard measure was imposed up to and including January 20, 2014, by when the investigation had to be concluded.

Trade Remedy Consideration
If you are in the business of wire ropes and cables, you would be interested to know that the antidumping and countervailing measures on wire ropes and cables imported from or originating in Germany, India, South Korea, the People’s Republic of China and the UK are set to expire on February 12, unless a sunset review investigation is initiated.

Currently, an interim review of the antidumping measures on wire ropes and cables manufactured by Casar Drahtseilwerk Saar, originating in or imported from Germany, is under way. This investigation was announced in the Government Gazette of April 19, 2013.

Model International Sale Contract
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) announced on January 15 that registration for training on its new model international sale contract had begun.

According to the ICC, legal and business professionals involved in international trade and dispute resolution are invited to the one-day training session on March 7 at the ICC Hearing Centre, in Paris, France. Participants registering before January 31 qualify for a reduced rate.

Launched in 2013, the model international sale contract sets out a comprehensive set of rights and obligations for sellers and buyers, helping traders, businesspeople and lawyers save time in international transactions. Designed for the sale of manufactured goods, the model may also serve as an example for other types of products.

With interactive sessions, real-life scenarios and hands-on advice, the training is run by one of the model contract’s co-authors, Christoph Martin Radtke, partner at Lamy & Associes, in France; co-chairperson of Incoterms®2010 Drafting Group; and member of the ICC Commission on Commercial Law and Practice. Radtke will run the course together with Emily O’Connor, executive secretary of the ICC Commission on Commercial Law and Practice.

ICC experts will guide participants through the print and digital versions of the Model International Sale Contract, which incorporates the Incoterms®2010 rules, as well as the new bank payment obligation rules developed jointly by the ICC Banking Commission and the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. Each step will be made clear, from the contract’s general characteristics to scope of application, termination and resolution of disputes.

The upcoming training day builds on the success of the first Model International Sale Contract training, which took place in October 2013, receiving tremendously positive feedback from participants.

The Model International Sale Contract training is preceded by a two-day Masterclass on the Incoterms®2010 rules, on March 5 and 6.

Developed by the ICC Commission on Commercial Law and Practice, ICC model contracts and ICC model clauses are an invaluable resource for conducting business internationally. They offer parties a neutral framework for contractual relationships without expressing a bias for any legal system.

South African Premier Business Awards
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has announced that it will host the second Annual South African Premier Business Awards in partnership with Brand South Africa and Proudly South Africa.

According to the DTI, the Apex business awards will recognise business excellence and honour enterprises and entrepreneurs that promote the spirit of success and innovation, as well as job creation, good business ethics and quality.

Tips for Budget 2014
On January 17, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan extended an invitation to South Africans to send their tips on what they would like to see in this year’s Budget. The Minister is due to present the 2014 Budget to Parliament at 14:00 on 26 February 2014.

The Budget Tips is an ongoing campaign to garner South Africans’ views on economic matters. The invitation encourages South Africans to give the Minister tips on matters relating to tax and how government can improve public finance management, boost economic growth and address unemployment.