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The International Trade Administration
Commission (ITAC)
is responsible for tariff investigations, amendments, and trade
remedies in South Africa and on behalf of SACU.
Tariff investigations include: Increases
in the customs duty rates in Schedule No. 1 Part 1 of Jacobsens.
These applications apply to all the SACU Countries, and, if
amended, thus have the potential to affect the import duty rates
in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and South Africa.
Reductions in the customs duty rates in
Schedule No. 1 Part 1. These applications apply to all the SACU
Countries, and, if amended, thus have the potential to affect
the import duty rates in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland
and South Africa.
Rebates of duty on products, available in the
Southern African Customs Union (SACU), for use in the
manufacture of goods, as published in Schedule No. 3 Part 1, and
in Schedule No. 4 of Jacobsens. Schedule No. 3 Part 1 and
Schedule No. 4, are identical in all the SACU Countries.
Rebates of duty on inputs used in the
manufacture of goods for export, as published in Schedule No. 3
Part 2 and in item 470.00. These provisions apply to all the
SACU Countries.
Refunds of duties and drawbacks of duties as
provided for in Schedule No. 5. These provisions are identical
in the all the SACU Countries.
Trade remedies include: Anti-dumping
duties (in Schedule No. 2 Part 1 of Jacobsens), countervailing
duties to counteract subsidisation in foreign countries (in
Schedule No. 2 Part 2), and safeguard duties (Schedule No. 2
Part 3), which are imposed as measures when a surge of imports
is threatening to overwhelm a domestic producer, in accordance
with domestic law and regulations and consistent with WTO rules.
Dumping is
defined as a situation where imported goods are being sold at
prices lower than in the country of origin, and also causing
financial injury to domestic producers of such goods. In other
words, there should be a demonstrated causal link between the
dumping and the injury experienced.
To remedy such unfair pricing, ITAC may, at
times, recommend the imposition of substantial duties on imports
or duties that are equivalent to the dumping margin (or to the
margin of injury, if this margin is lower).
Countervailing investigations are
conducted to determine whether to impose countervailing duties
to protect a domestic industry against the unfair trade practice
of proven subsidised imports from foreign competitors that cause
material injury to a domestic producer.
Safeguard measures,
can be introduced to protect a domestic industry against
unforeseen and overwhelming foreign competition and not
necessarily against unfair trade, like the previous two
instruments. |
In the WTO system, a member may take a
safeguard action, which is, restricting imports temporarily in
the face of a sustained increase in imports that is causing
serious injury to the domestic producer of like products.
Safeguard measures are universally applied to all countries,
unlike anti-dumping and countervailing duties that are aimed at
a specific firm or country.
Schedule No. 2 is identical in all the SACU
Countries.
ITAC received and published the following application to amend
the tariff:
The notice was published in Government Gazette 38707 of 24 April
2015.
It relates to an application to increase the general rate of
customs duty on:
Large bore welded
steel pipes classifiable under tariff headings 73.03, 73.04,
73.05, and 73.06, from free of duty and 10% ad valorem to 15% ad
valorem.
ITAC Ref. 11/2014.
Enquiries:
Ms Lufuno Maliaga
Tel: (012) 394 3835
E-mail:
lmaliaga@itac.org.za
Mr Pfarelo Phaswana
Tel: (012) 394 3628
E-mail
pphaswana@itac.org.za
Refer to Notice Government Notice R. 369 of 2015, published in Government
Gazette 38707
dated 24 April 2015.
Comments are due by 22 May 2015. |
