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 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.
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.
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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.
The International Trade Commission of South Africa (ITAC) also
publishes Sunset Review Applications in relation to anti-dumping
duty in terms of which any definitive anti-dumping duty will be
terminated on a date not later than five years from the date of
imposition, unless the International Trade Administration
Commission determines, in a review initiated before that date on
its own initiative or upon a duly substantiated request made by
or on behalf of the domestic industry, that the expiry of the
duty would likely lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping
and material injury.
ITAC
published a notice which is titled "Initiation of sunset review
of anti-dumping duties on frozen bone-in portions of fowls of
species gallus domesticus imported or originating from
the United States of America" under Notice 270 in Government
Gazette 40717 of 24 March 2017. Comments are due by 24 April
2017.
The response
to the questionnaire and any information regarding this matter
and any arguments concerning the allegation of dumping and the
resulting threat of material injury must be submitted in writing
to the Senior Manager: Trade Remedies II at ITAC.
Enquiries may
be directed to the investigating officers, Ms Thuli Nkomo at
telephone number +27 12 394 1190 or Ms Boniswa Mehlomakulu at
telephone number +27 12 394 3636 or at fax number +27 12 394
0518.
Comments are
due by 24 April 2017. ITAC published an application to increase
the current duty rates on dairy spreads of subheading 0405.20
and certain extracted oleoresins of subheading 3301.90 from the
current rates of duty to the WTO bound rates in a Government
Gazette under List 02 of 2017.
The
applications were published in Government Gazette No.
40691 of 17 March 2017 in Notice No. 224 of 2017.
Comments were
due by 13 April 2017.
Refer to the
Jacobsens Customs Bulletin of 23 March 2017 for more
information
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