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DRAFT TARIFF AMENDMENTS WITH EFFECT FROM 1
JANUARY 2015
(Comments due by 8 October 2014)
Draft Tariff Notices on annual EFTA phase-downs and other
amendments to Schedules Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 have been published on the
SARS website on 10 September 2014.
The draft amendments are explained in an
Explanatory Memorandum.
Various draft notices as well as an Explanatory Memorandum can
be downloaded from the SARS website.
The proposed amendments include the following:
·
Draft
amendment on phase-down duties in terms of the EFTA Trade Agreement and
amendments on the reduction in the rate of duty on paper and paperboard
on tariff subheading 4811.41.90 ITAC Report No. 151. Intended implementation
with effect from 1 January 2015
·
Draft
technical amendments and creation of separate 8-digit tariff
subheadings for goods classifiable in Chapters 4, 15, 30, 32, 33, 38,
39, 70 and 85. Intended implementation with effect from 1 January
2015
·
Draft
amendment to create separate 8-digit tariff subheadings for goods classifiable under tariff
subheading 0207.1 (chicken meat). Intended implementation with effect from 1 February
2015
·
Draft
amendment to delete anti-dumping item 201.02/0207.14.90/01.08 and to
insert new anti-duty items which are indicated on the SARS website as a
consequence to an earlier deletion in Part 1 of Schedule No. 1 with effect from 1 February 2015
·
Draft
amendment to delete countervailing items 235.00 and 235.01 as they
have become redundant. Intended implementation with effect from 1
January 2015
·
Draft
amendment to substitute anti-dumping items as a consequence to an
amendment in Part 1 of Schedule No. 1. Intended implementation with effect from 1 January 2015
·
Draft
amendments to delete redundant rebate items with effect from 1 January 2015
·
Draft
amendment to substitute rebate item 311.03 to read "Industry:
Textile Weaving". Intended implementation with retrospective effect from 7 December 2012
·
Draft
amendment to delete rebate item 497.01 as it is not in use. Intended
implementation with effect from 1 January 2015
·
Draft
amendment to delete rebate items 498.01 and 498.02 as they are not in
use. Intended implementation with
effect from 1 January 2015
Download the draft notices from http://www.sars.gov.za/Legal/Preparation-of-Legislation/Pages/Draft-Documents-for-Public-Comment.aspx.
AMENDMENT TO THE COMPULSORY SPECIFICATIONS FOR
MOTOR VEHICLES
Importers and manufacturers of motor vehicles of categories M1
and N1 should note that the Compulsory Specification on motor vehicles
of categories M1 and N1 have been replaced by new specifications.
The Minister of Trade and Industry has published two notices
under section 13(1)(a) of the National Regulator of Compulsory
Specifications Act (Act 5 of 2008) to withdraw the current Compulsory
Specifications and replace them with new specifications with effect
from 5 November 2014 – that is within a date of two (2) months from the
date of publication of the notices.
The notices to amend the specifications were published through
Government Notices R.687 and R.688 in Government Gazette 37958
of 5 September 2014.
Download the notices by clicking on the links below:
National
Regulator for Compulsory Specifications Act: Amendment to the
compulsory specification for the motor vehicles of category N1 G 37958
GoN 687.
National
Regulator for Compulsory Specifications Act: Amendment to the
compulsory specification of the motor vehicles of Category M1 G 37958
GoN 688.
The Minister has also published a notice to amend the regulations
relating to the Government Gazette of levy periods.
The notice can also be downloaded by clicking on the link
below:
National
Regulator for Compulsory Specifications Act: Regulations: Government
Gazette of levy
periods G 37959 RG 10255 GoN 668.
An updated list of the National Standards is
published in Government Notice No. R.686 which can be downloaded from http://www.gov.za/documents/download.php?f=214247.
HOW TO GET READY FOR SOUTH AFRICA’s NEW
CUSTOMS LEGISLATION
Along with the changing Customs landscape comes many
challenges for everyone involved in the supply chain. New Customs
legislation should aim to find the perfect balance between customs
control and supply chain security on the one side, and trade
facilitation on the other side.
Customs modernization today will be Customs legislation
tomorrow and that is why it is so important that Customs brokers and
their clients familiarize them with the changes to the industry, and
that they know exactly how modernisation will
impact on the relationship between all the parties.
Many brokers are concerned about their changing role and some
even think that there will not be Customs brokers in a number of years
to come.
If one focuses on some of the changes it is evident that
self-assessment and self-compliance from the perspective of traders
will become more important. For this reason some of our clients are of
the opinion that importers in particular will start doing their own
clearing.
However, if one critically analyses some of the changes and
focus on the changes in the Customs legislation it becomes evident that
Customs brokers will now really have to become customs specialists –
much more so than they have been over the years.
Customs brokers should study the new Customs legislation – and
that includes the draft rules which are now published – and make sure
that they are on top of it. Then they should meet with their
clients and inform them about the changes and how that will impact on
their business.
Training providers are training – not only customs brokers –
who are already specialists – but also the clients of clients. In a
recent project GMLS have been working on such a project with a client
for a period of months and will have intensive training sessions with
the client in order to inform the importers of the requirements under
the new legislation.
It is impossible to point out all the changes in a Bulletin
like this but one example is the changes in terms of the legislation
pertaining to supporting documents – more specifically focusing on the
new requirements for the clearance instruction – section 176 read with
draft Rule 7.6 - will indicate to you that the changes will be immense
and they should not be ignored until the Customs Control Act (Act 31 of
2014) and the Customs Duty Act, 2014 enter into force.
Another solution would be to work on a strategy of
communication and establishing relationships not only with Customs, but
also with your clients. And to have frequent meetings.
The time has now come to also investigate an ICT strategy, not
only to Customs but also involving your clients and service providers.
You will notice that we have been focusing on the
changes and on the impacts thereof on your business in the Bulletin for
some time now. This is due to requests and to popular demand.
We welcome your inputs and will try to focus on your own
needs.
NOTE:
Comments
are due on the Draft Rules to Chapters 11 to Chapter 24 and Chapter 24
of the Customs Control Act (Act 31 of 2014) before 26 September
2014. Refer to the Jacobsens Customs News Bulletin of 13 August
2014 for more information.
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