SA reviews duties on chemical, aluminium and textile inputs
Thématique :
RSA
By: Terence Creamer, Engineering News - 7 Nov 07
A comprehensive review of tariff protection on certain upstream industrial inputs including chemicals and plastics, textile for apparel and clothing, and aluminium has been launched by the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac).
The organisation, which falls under the aegis of the bigger Department of Trade and Industry, said the review was in line with the recently released National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF) and associated action plan.
The NIPF is government's policy response to a stated aspiration stated under the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa, or Asgisa, to rebuild South Africa's value-added export capacity, which has fallen since the full re-entry of the country into the global economy after 1994.
Itac said in a statement released along with the latest Government Gazette that the scope of the review would encompass upstream chemicals and plastics, upstream aluminium products and textiles used in the manufacture of apparel and clothing.
The review has officially been announced in the Government Gazette of November 9, 2007, including the full details of all the chemical, aluminium and textile products and tariff categories covered in the investigation, as well as a short questionnaire to be completed by interested parties responding to the investigation, Itac said.
The commission added that it could result in the possible reduction or even removal of tariffs in the interests of lowering input costs into downstream manufacturing.
A similar review of carbon-steel tariff lines a few years ago resulted in the scrapping of the prevailing 5% import duty on primary steel.
The new review was expected to be finalised during the first half of 2008, and Itac said it is ready and willing to receive comments from stakeholders.
A comprehensive review of tariff protection on certain upstream industrial inputs including chemicals and plastics, textile for apparel and clothing, and aluminium has been launched by the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac).
The organisation, which falls under the aegis of the bigger Department of Trade and Industry, said the review was in line with the recently released National Industrial Policy Framework (NIPF) and associated action plan.
The NIPF is government's policy response to a stated aspiration stated under the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa, or Asgisa, to rebuild South Africa's value-added export capacity, which has fallen since the full re-entry of the country into the global economy after 1994.
Itac said in a statement released along with the latest Government Gazette that the scope of the review would encompass upstream chemicals and plastics, upstream aluminium products and textiles used in the manufacture of apparel and clothing.
The review has officially been announced in the Government Gazette of November 9, 2007, including the full details of all the chemical, aluminium and textile products and tariff categories covered in the investigation, as well as a short questionnaire to be completed by interested parties responding to the investigation, Itac said.
The commission added that it could result in the possible reduction or even removal of tariffs in the interests of lowering input costs into downstream manufacturing.
A similar review of carbon-steel tariff lines a few years ago resulted in the scrapping of the prevailing 5% import duty on primary steel.
The new review was expected to be finalised during the first half of 2008, and Itac said it is ready and willing to receive comments from stakeholders.
