Wheat and flour variable formula tariff On 08 September 2017, the South African Revenue Service (Sars) announced the reduction in the variable formula tariff for wheat and wheat or meslin flour imported from the European Union (EU), the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and MERCOSUR. The rates of customs duty for wheat and meslin, classifiable in tariff subheadings 1001.91 (seed) and 1001.99 (other), is reduced from 94.72c/kg to 37.93c/ kg. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) rate of customs duty is free (0%). The rates of customs duty for wheat or meslin flour, classifiable under tariff subheading 1101.00.10 (Brown wheaten meal produced by the milling of whole grains – the bran, germ and endosperm – excluding separated wheat bran, separated wheat germ or separated wheat semolina or endosperm), and tariff subheading 1101.00.90 (Other) to reduce the rates of customs duty on wheat and wheaten is reduced from 142.18c/kg to 56.90c/kg. The SADC rate of customs duty is free (0%). The reasoning for the reduction in the rates of customs duty is contained in the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) Minute 08/2017. Atlantis SEZ - Comment due In the Government Gazette of 08 September 2017, the Trade and Industry Minister extended an invitation to comment on the designation of the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (SEZ), by 08 October 2017. The Atlantis SEZ, situated in the Industrial Area North of Cape Town, South of Wesfleur, East of Dassenberg road, West of Witsand community, constitutes a total land area of 124.5 hectare, consisting of four zones. WTO Public Forum The World Trade Organsation (WTO) announced that the 2017 Public Forum, entitled “Trade: Behind the Headlines”, will be held at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland from 26 to 28 September 2017. The Public Forum is the WTO’s largest annual outreach event. The Forum provides a unique platform for heads of states, parliamentarians, leading global business people, students, academics and nongovernmental organisations to meet and debate on a wide range of WTO issues and on some of the major trade and development topics of the day. Over 1 500 participants attend the Forum each year. For more information, visit www.wto.org/pf17 WCO PICARD Conference The World Customs Organisation (WCO) announced that its PICARD Conference will take place in Hammamet, Tunisia, from 26 to 28 September 2017. This year’s Conference will feature a broad spectrum of academic, governmental, and private sector entities and think-tanks, including the Borders in Globalisation Project, Global Financial Integrity, the World Bank Group, World Economic Forum (WEF) and several universities from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Tunisia, United Kingdom and the United States of America. According to WCO, presenters were chosen from a competitive pool of over 80 submissions, and will feature Customs officers from India, Malawi, Switzerland, Peru and Turkey who will present their ongoing research on topics such as security, trade facilitation and the application of data analysis to Customs processes.
